Lovers in a Dangerous Time
by amykay
Summary: Flint, Lady Jaye and and the rest of the Joe team have to cope with a new normal after the apparent defeat of Cobra. Sunbow cartoon 'verse. Rated T for some swearing and adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is something I've been working on for nearly a year. It's a Sunbow season three of sorts story, with the main focus on Flint/LJ after the events of the movie. While it is set in the cartoon universe , some aspects of the various comics may work its way into it. Since this is based on the fictional G.I. Joe team, it's not exactly real world military accurate. It's also set in its own timeline based on the events of the cartoon. This starts off about six months after the movie.

Thank you to Mossley for the beta reads, and the many emails back and forth to bounce ideas off you. Thanks also to Nicole for the early read, and the ideas tossed my way.

Lady Jaye ran to catch up with Scarlett. She hadn't been paying attention, and she had fallen steps behind her friend. Her actions did not go unnoticed by Beachhead. He ran up alongside her. "You better double time it, princess! This isn't a leisurely jog through the countryside!"

"Aw, Beach, I just wanted you to pay me a visit so I can welcome you back to our PT sessions."

Beachhead growled. "Not funny. Slaughter thought he was hot stuff, but I always knew he wasn't cut out for the long haul. But don't worry, now that he's moved on, I'll get you back in shape." His phone rang, and with a warning to Lady Jaye that he was watching her, he veered off the course to answer it.

"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked when Lady Jaye caught up to her.

"Yep, just zoned out for a moment." That wasn't entirely true. For some reason, she was finding Beachhead's standard early morning PT harder than usual. But she wasn't going to admit that to the drill instructor.

However, he barked out hers and Scarlett's names a few moments later and told them to stand down. "Great. He probably wants us to start over. I'm sorry if you're guilty by association."

Scarlett shrugged her off. "Morning, Beach. What's going on?"

"Hawk called. Officer's call is canceled. But he still needs to see the two of you."

"Did he say why?" Lady Jaye asked.

"What do I look like, a damn secretary? I have no idea. But if you stop yapping and get your ass over there, you'll find out."

Lady Jaye mumbled a few choice words as she and Scarlett walked towards HQ. "Just once, I'd like him to answer a question like a normal person."

Scarlett laughed. "It's never going to happen. But he has been extra cranky lately. I think all this down time is getting to him."

"It's getting to all of us," Lady Jaye admitted. She and Flint had discussed that very topic at length the previous evening. She had then tossed and turned all night, which would explain why she had been dragging this morning.

She was also starving, so she suggested a quick swing by the commissary on the way to Hawk's. After grabbing a couple of breakfast items, Lady Jaye asked Scarlett how Duke had been doing in his recovery.

"I'd say he's almost there," Scarlett said. "Every so often I see him cringing in pain, but he swears it's only a fraction of what he had experienced."

Lady Jaye had been a prisoner of Cobra's at the time, so she had missed Serpentor's near fatal attack of Duke. But once she had returned to base, and heard the stories of how bad his injuries had been she realized he was lucky to be alive. "I'm glad for his sake that it's been so quiet around here."

"Me too. It has really given him a chance to recuperate without the stress of needing to get back into the field."

The way that Scarlett smiled as she talked about Duke, Lady Jaye guessed that the down time had given Duke the time for other long overdue activities. As much as she craved gossip, Lady Jaye knew that Scarlett was extremely tight-lipped when it came to her and Duke's relationship, so she switched the topic back to theorizing why Hawk had summoned them.

On the way to Hawk's office they ran into Duke. Scarlett grinned at him, and at first Duke smiled in return, but then he quickly composed himself. Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. She wondered if he would ever be comfortable showing Scarlett any kind of public affection.

"I've been looking for you two," Duke said. "Officer's call has been canceled."

"We heard," Scarlett replied. "But apparently Hawk still wants to meet with us, although I'm not sure why."

Duke frowned. "Something is going on. When I talked to him earlier he said he needed to take care of a few things but then he wanted to meet with Flint, Beachhead and I."

"Do you know why?" Lady Jaye asked.

Duke looked down the hallway. "No. But maybe Flint has an idea."

Lady Jaye turned around. She grinned as she watched Flint approach. On the opposite end of the PDA scale from Duke, was her boyfriend. Flint grabbed her close, gave her a kiss and said, "Good morning."

Lady Jaye smiled. "I'm pretty sure you said that to me already."

"Yes, but since you only grunted a reply in your sleep, I wanted to say it again." Flint separated from her. "So what's this little powwow about?"

"We were just discussing that. We don't know," Duke said.

"Something brewing with Cobra?" Flint asked.

"If there is, it'll be news to us," Scarlett answered. "It's been quiet on the intelligence front."

Lady Jaye agreed. She doubted this had anything to do with a potential mission, because it would have been brought up during officer's call. Lady Jaye was starting to get a bad feeling about it. She reached for Flint's hand. He took it and gave it a squeeze. By that small gesture she could tell that he was nervous about the meeting as well.

Beachhead arrived a few moments before Hawk's door opened. The general walked out in the hall and eyed the group standing in front of him. Flint had let go of her hand and taken a step to separate the two. As was typical for them while in Hawk's presence, they kept any physical contact to a minimum. Hawk had done a very good job of ignoring their relationship, and in return they tried not to flaunt it in front of him. "I see you all got the message. Gentlemen, I want to chat first with Scarlett and Lady Jaye, so just hang tight a few minutes."

Lady Jaye and Scarlett followed Hawk into their office. He closed the door behind him and took his seat behind the desk. "Let me get right to the point. I received a call this morning from D.C. I'm being reassigned."

The news shocked Lady Jaye. She turned towards Scarlett who was wearing a matching expression of disbelief on her face. They both then started to express their dismay at the same time, but Hawk waved them off. "I appreciate the sentiment, but we all know this is a fact of Army life. They're telling me it's only a temporary move. The new administration is hell bent on revamping the whole military structure. They want to make it more streamlined and cost effective. Obviously that's not sitting well with the brass, so it's a chaotic time at the Pentagon.

"Because of my field work and experience with Cobra, the bigwigs want me close to the President's ear so I could give him the perspective of how critical a strong US military is. Therefore they're saying my assignment is only going to last as long as the upcoming round of budget hearings, which means anywhere from six weeks to six months. But, again we all know how the Army works, so I'm not going to circle any dates on my calendar. And don't feel too bad for me as this means I'll be pinning another star to my shoulder. Although, to be honest, I would trade it in for a chance to stay here. Even though there hasn't been a lot of action lately, I know that will change soon. And I would much rather take on a Cobra force than a Senate subcommittee. "

Hawk took a breath. He wrapped his hands together and leaned forward. "Anyway, I didn't call you in here to wax poetic about my career. If the paperwork hasn't hit your desk yet, it will in the next few minutes. I didn't want you two to find out in such an impersonal way, so I thought I'd give you a heads up."

"Thank you sir, we appreciate that," Scarlett said.

Hawk nodded. "It's going to be hectic the next couple of days, and DC is probably going to breathing down your necks to make sure all the transfer documents go through. In addition, I'm sure I'll be calling on you two the next few weeks to help me out with whatever supporting documentation I may need."

"Don't worry, Hawk. Whatever you need, we'll get it done," Lady Jaye said.

Hawk folded his hands together and stared at them a few moments. It seemed like he was debating how much more to talk about. But then he sighed. "You're probably going to be in for a bit of an adjustment as you get used to the new general, but I'm sure you'll adapt."

They once again startled. Lady Jaye glanced at Scarlett, who had her full attention on Hawk. "They're actually bringing someone in to replace you?"

Hawk nodded. "Yes. I tried to explain that the current command team here is more than capable of leading the Joes in my absence, but they weren't having any of it. They said it wasn't a vote of no confidence against any of the guys, they just wanted to give another general a taste of Joe leadership."

"Who is he?" Lady Jaye asked.

"General Arthur Bradshaw. I know of him, he seems like a good guy, although a bit old-fashioned. He's also a stickler for the rules."

That set off warning bells in Lady Jaye's head. The Joe team, thanks to Hawk's laissez-faire attitude, hadn't exactly been playing by the greater military's hard and fast laws. Lady Jaye ticked off in her head a list of infractions she had noticed that morning alone, including her relationship with Flint. So she had a feeling that Hawk had called them in for more than just a heads-up on increased paperwork.

Hawk interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sure you have more questions, but I have to cut this short. I have a lot to do now, and I still need to talk to my leadership team. But I have to ask you to keep quiet about this until I can inform the rest of the Joes later on this afternoon."

"Of course, sir," Scarlett said.

The two then rose and left the office. Lady Jaye only had time for a quick smile at Flint before he followed the others in. She then stared at the closed door until Scarlett interrupted her thoughts. "Should we head to our office and get started on the paperwork?"

Lady Jaye knew she should, but she wanted to wait until this meeting was over. She needed to talk to Flint to see if he agreed with her hunch that the new general did not bode well for them or the team. "I will. I just want to wait on the guys to come out."

Scarlett nodded and then leaned against the wall. "I guess you have as bad of a feeling about this as I do?"

"Probably worse," Lady Jaye admitted.

Scarlett sighed. The two then remained quiet until the door opened. Flint and Duke emerged looking grim. Beachhead, on the other hand, seemed to be grinning. Flint removed his beret, ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled sharply. "That was painful."

"Really? I thought it was a very refreshing conversation," Beachhead said. "It'll be a nice change of pace to have a general that has a healthy appreciation for the code book."

Duke looked between the two men. "You two can fight this out. I'm not going to spend any more time talking about it. I have real work I need to do."

Scarlett put her hands up to stop him. "Duke, wait. What happened in there?"

Duke ignored her question and stormed off without a second glance at Scarlett. She waited only a few moments before she chased after him.

Beachhead turned to Flint. "Were you able to pick up on Hawk's message?"

Flint's fists clenched. Lady Jaye could see Flint giving the drill instructor a death stare, which meant there was a pretty good chance a fight was going to break out. "No, Sneeden, I didn't. Us Rhodes Scholars aren't known for our intelligence, so please enlighten me. But make sure you use small words so I'm sure to get it the first time through."

Despite the severity of the situation, Lady Jaye bit down on the smile that formed on her face. She had to admit, sometimes she loved Flint when he was in pissed-off mode.

"I'm just checking. I know you have a tendency for thinking the rules don't apply to you. So hopefully you understand that's going to change once the new general arrives." Beachhead looked between Flint and Lady Jaye. "So you may want to rethink this situation you two have going on."

Flint muttered a few choice words as Beachhead walked away. Lady Jaye rubbed at his arm and then repeated Scarlett's question.

Flint glanced at Hawk's closed door. "Not here. Do you have time to take a walk so we can talk?"

"I'm apparently going to be swamped with paperwork in the coming days, but it can hold for a little while."

He grabbed her hand and the two made their way outside, to the back of headquarters and away from any other Joes. "I assume Hawk told you he was being replaced?" Flint asked.

"He did," Lady Jaye confirmed. "But he wasn't very forthcoming with the details. Only that the new guy likes to play by the rules."

"Yeah," Flint said with a sigh. "He didn't go into much more detail with us. But he did apologize for leaving us with the burden of converting the team to the new leadership. He stressed that even though General Bradshaw was coming in on a temporary basis, what he says goes. He's going to be given free rein to make whatever changes he sees fit. Hawk then made a pointed comment about how we should lead by example."

Lady Jaye grimaced. For Hawk, that was the closest he was going to get to telling them to knock off the shenanigans.

Flint continued. "Beachhead then spent a couple of minutes taking great pleasure in reassuring Hawk that he was up to the task. He too made a comment that he had no problem whipping the team back into shape since Duke and I had our own issues to attend to. I can't even describe the shade of red Duke's face turned."

Lady Jaye's hand went to her mouth. It sounded like the whole conversation had been excruciating for Flint and Duke. She sighed. "So now what?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I need some time to process all of this, and figure out a plan."

"What kind of plan? Unless there is a big promotion in my very near future, doesn't it boil down to either we break this off or get thrown out of the Army?"

"Simply speaking, yes. And maybe the answer is obvious, but I can't just suddenly turn off my feelings and throw away the last few years we've had together."

Lady Jaye ran her hand down his arm. "I know. There's a big part of me that wants to tell the new general to kiss off because I love you and all consequences be damned. However, there's the other part that realizes that's not the sensible and responsible course to take."

Flint pulled her into his arms. "If we were sensible and responsible, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"So what do you suggest?"

"We have a couple of days to think about this before General Bradshaw arrives. Let's not make any hasty decisions."

Lady Jaye nodded. She still didn't think a magical solution was going to suddenly present itself, but she agreed they should take the time to think things through. She rubbed her hand across his cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," Flint echoed. They kissed before they went their separate ways. Lady Jaye headed to her office for a brief pit stop to pick up any items that needed her attention before tackling the rest of her never ending to-do list stationed strategically throughout her suite. She and Scarlett had turned their living room into a second office a few months prior when Chuckles had joined the team and their office. It had made a small office space even more cramped. At first they tried to make the best of the bad situation, but it quickly became clear that there just wasn't room for three desks, three people and the dozens of active files they needed accessible. They knew with the most recent recruit of new Joes, that HQ was maxed out on offices, so they settled on the living room idea.

Lady Jaye entered her office and said hello to Chuckles who was busy writing at his desk. He waved at her as he continued scribbling away. She then sat at her desk and skimmed through the new items. Most of it was requests for minor changes in members' records. And hour spent in the computer lab would take care of it. There was also a folder that had information pertaining to potential Cobra activity in the middle of Montana. That held promise, and looked to be a good way to distract her from her thoughts for a few hours at least.

She stood up. "Chuckles, I've got to take care of a few things in the computer lab. I'll see you later."

He nodded in response, and Lady Jaye had to bite down on her lip to hold back a laugh. The one thing that could be said about the man was that he was not a big talker.

The records editing took closer to an hour and a half, and then she headed to her suite. She sat on the couch and began to skim through the contents of the file. However, she soon became distracted by muted chatter coming from behind Scarlett's closed bedroom door. Lady Jaye smiled. She had a good idea who was in there with her, and she hoped that meant that Duke's initial response to Hawk's meeting was just posturing on his part. But soon the voices became louder, and not in a good way. Despite the volume, she couldn't make out what the two were saying until Scarlett clearly shouted, "Damn it, Con, I know. But I think I've at least earned the right to talk with you about it."

Lady Jaye put the file down. She knew she wasn't going to get any more work done. She really didn't want to spend any more time eavesdropping. It was nearly lunchtime, so she decided to head to the cafeteria. On the way there she again thought about the differences between Flint and Duke. The two men's personalities were as different as their looks, a point she was currently grateful for. She was very happy that Flint hadn't had a knee jerk reaction like Duke apparently had. In the end, they might end up with the same result, but at least Flint had made it clear that they were going to make the decision together.

She entered the cafeteria, grabbed a tray of food and picked an empty seat next to Leatherneck and Wetsuit. Both barely acknowledged her presence as they were in a heated debate over what sounded like the upcoming college football season. She took a couple of bites of her food before she was joined by Ace. "Finally," he said. "I've been looking for either you or Scarlett all morning."

Lady Jaye was going to give him a word of warning to avoid Scarlett for at least the rest of the day, but she didn't want to add to any gossip mill. "What do you need?" she asked instead.

"Read this list," Ace said cryptically. He pushed a sheet of paper in front of her.

"What is this for?" she asked.

"I'll tell you once you're done."

Lady Jaye frowned as she read through it. It seemed like a bunch of G.I. Joe doomsday predictions, but every so often there were more optimistic thoughts such as 'Lady Jaye and/or Scarlett got promoted' and 'Hawk is getting married'. She looked up and noticed that Ace was intently staring at her. "Why do I get the feeling I'm in a poker game I never knew I joined?"

Ace smiled. "Good girl, you're learning. I've always said the key to winning every hand is being able to read your opponent."

"Okay, I get the philosophy but I don't understand what kind of information you are trying to gather here. It just looks like a random collection of good and bad events for certain or all members of the Joe team."

"Right, it is a fairly random collection. But they're all major events. I think they're all big enough to justify Hawk giving his command and intelligence staff a heads up to the announcement he will be making to the rest of the team later in the day."

Lady Jaye leaned back and slowly nodded her head. "Ah, now I see." She was once again amazed at how quickly news traveled through the Joe team. She read through the list again. "And what do you want from me? The odds of each one of these being the correct guess?"

"If you want to go that far, that would be great. But I actually just wanted to make sure the correct answer was on the list."

Lady Jaye didn't look at it again. Both 'Hawk is transferred' and 'Hawk is promoted' was on the list. She could point out that technically, Ace had two correct answers, but she wasn't even going to give him that much. "Sorry. I can't say anything. You'll find out at three."

"I'm not looking for specifics, just a simple yes or no." Ace looked across the cafeteria. "I tell you what. I have to talk to Rip a minute, so I'll leave this with you. Just put a check mark, or smiley face, or something cute like that if I'm good. And if not, feel free to write in the correct answer, with a few red herrings to cover yourself."

Lady Jaye shook her head as he walked away. He was only gone a few moments before Shipwreck took his place. She covered Ace's paper with her tray. "Jaye, are you okay? You look a little sad."

"I do?" Lady Jaye asked. That surprised her. Sure, Hawk's conversation had upset her, but she thought she had done a good job of hiding her feelings.

"Yeah, but it's okay. When I heard Hawk's news, I was pretty upset myself."

Lady Jaye cocked an eyebrow at him. She had to admit, he almost had her. "Really? I'm surprised you would take it that hard."

Shipwreck began to stammer. "No, what I meant to say was that I was elated for him. Right? No? I had mixed emotions?"

Lady Jaye laughed. "Shipwreck, give it up. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Ace, you will find out at three this afternoon."

"That's not fair. I'm not going to win the bet that way. Come on, just give me a little nudge in the right direction and I'll split the winnings with you."

Ace returned to the table. "Nice try, 'Wreck, but if you keep that up you'll be banned from my pool."

"Oh don't worry, Ace, Jaye here is too smart for me."

"A chimp with a traumatic brain injury is smarter than you," Ace countered.

The two continued to snipe back and forth. Lady Jaye put up with it for about a minute before she stood up. "Guys, I'm really not in the mood. And I think I just heard the recess bell. Isn't it time for you to get back to your middle school class? "

"Aha, I knew you were upset about something!" Shipwreck said.

Lady Jaye shook her head. "The only thing I'm going to say to you Ace, is take away the 'Falcon caught a nasty STD' option because A - it's not true and B - that's cruel even for someone like Falcon." She then walked out of the cafeteria.

As she entered the hallway, she was at a loss as to what to do. She didn't want to go to her office or her room. So she did what had become commonplace for her, she sought out Flint's company. Even though she had only seen him a few hours prior, she still wanted to find him to tell him about the brief snippets of Duke and Scarlett's fight, and Ace's asinine bet.

When it had become clear that Cobra, if not completely defeated, had suffered a severe blow, and therefore the Joes' workload and missions would be greatly reduced, Lady Jaye had wondered how the slow period would affect her and Flint. At first it was blessing, because after a couple of years of hectic schedules that were sometime coordinated, but most of the time not, it was nice to spend days and sometimes weeks at a time together. She had gotten used to going to bed with him nearly every night and waking up next to him nearly every morning. But as time went on she started to worry that they were going to get bored with each other.

However, so far that hadn't happened. She had always assumed that the reason they were just as passionate for each other years later as when they first hooked up was due to the limited amount of time they got to spend together. And she had to admit that their constant time together had dulled some of the passion, but instead it had changed into a deeper sort of intimacy. Frantic hello or goodbye sex had morphed into a sweeter kind of lovemaking as they just hung out and reminisced about their day.

And she realized that not only was he her lover, but he had also become her best friend. It was now second nature for her to think throughout the day of insignificant things that she wanted to tell him. She had come to love their simple talks as much as their sexual encounters. The down time had also given her a chance to seriously start thinking about their future. The fact that they were just as compatible in a non-stressful, day-to-day, situation gave her the confidence that they could make a "normal" marriage work. She knew one day their Joe career was going to be over, and she was sure that he was the one that she wanted to spend that part of her life with.

She was fairly confident that he felt the same way. Over the last few months, they have had a few talks about life in the future. The first couple of times they talked, he had gotten uncomfortable and had quickly changed the subject. She had originally thought that meant that he wasn't on the same page as her as far as future plans, but as time went on she actually started to suspect the opposite was true. Based on a couple of comments he had made, she had a feeling that he was in the process of planning out some kind of grand proposal. Which really wasn't necessary, but she had to admit did seem awfully cute and romantic. But all that was now in jeopardy.

She peeked her head into his office, but saw that he wasn't there. So she headed 'upstairs' which had become their code word for a secluded area of the HQ roof. The roof was a popular hangout area for many of the Joes looking for a fairly quiet spot in the sun. Lady Jaye and the other women used it frequently for sun bathing, to get away from the ogling they were usually subjected to when they lay out by the pool. They knew that they were still being watched by the security cameras, but as long as they didn't hear any derogatory comments, they were fine with it.

Having very little privacy was one of the facts of life on base. If they weren't actually surrounded by people, than most likely a camera somewhere was capturing their actions. And the tech guys were more than happy to scour the hours of tape looking for what they called 'priceless' moments. Every so often they put on a 'Joes' funniest home videos' night in the rec room, showcasing their highlight reel. Most of the time they captured truly funny moments, but every so often a Joe was caught in a more embarrassing position. That had happened only once to her and Flint. It hadn't been anything too terrible, but the camera had caught them kissing as they made their way back to his room after one of their date nights. What probably sealed the fate of the Joe producers of the video was the commentary that ran during the scene. Neither she nor Flint had been in the rec room during the airing of the video, she had mercifully been off base on a mission at the time, but Flint had gotten wind of it within minutes of the airing. The next morning he had called Breaker and his cohorts into his office, and made it quite clear between the ass-chewing and punishment that followed, that they should never air any other of his private moments that might get caught on tape.

Since then, even though Lady Jaye knew the guys wouldn't dare to incur Flint's wrath again, she still made a point to not get in a compromising position by the cameras. The only truly private rooms on base were their living areas. But they still had roommates to contend with. She and Scarlett shared a suite, and while Flint had a private suite to himself for a while, once Beachhead arrived on base, he took the second bedroom in Flint's suite. So they had started to scope out areas that were private and out of the view of any cameras. One such area was a corner of the roof that was hidden behind the HVAC equipment. Over the years they had utilized the spot when they wanted a quiet place outside to talk or engage in other activities.

So she wasn't surprised when she opened the roof access door and saw that Flint was standing there. He wasn't in their hidden corner, but instead was standing near the edge looking down at the activity below. She walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "You look like a king gazing down at his royal subjects."

He grinned at her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close and kissed her cheek. "Guilty as charged. I wasn't getting any work done, and Beachhead was annoying me, so I escaped to up here. I just wanted to enjoy the quiet time before Hawk makes his announcement, and throws this base into chaos."

"I know what you mean," she said. She rested her head against his chest. She thought about the things she had wanted to tell him, but she lost all interest in her stories. She didn't want to talk, but instead she was enjoying just being close to him. He too apparently had no interest in talking, because he continued to stand there, content to just hold her. They agreed to talk at the end of the week, which gave her enough time to try and figure out what she wanted.

But their quiet time quickly came to end. Flint looked at his watch. "I should head back down."

Lady Jaye just nodded. It was silly, but she felt like once he left, that was going to be the point that their life changed. Once the other Joes found out that Hawk was leaving, and the implications of it, it would make their situation that much more real. Flint must have been having similar thoughts. He pulled her into his arms, and gave her a long, slow, deep kiss.

They finally separated and he made his way down. She waited as long as she could, before she too followed him down. Despite her best efforts to avoid the Joes she was most friendly with, Shipwreck still managed to ambush her. "Come on, Jaye, the clock's ticking away and the pot's more than five hundred. This is the easiest money you could ever earn."

Luckily, Hawk was extremely prompt, and she didn't even have to answer Shipwreck. After all the build-up, Hawk's announcement was short, sweet and to the point. He said simply that he had received orders to report to DC, that it was a temporary reassignment, but in the meantime he had all the faith in the replacement general that was coming in. He ended his speech by saying that if anyone had individual question or concerns, that his door was going to be open for the next seventy-two hours.

Once he finished, Shipwreck muttered to himself. "I knew I couldn't be that lucky, by having it be Beachhead that was transferred off base." He then turned to Lady Jaye. "So I don't get it. If it was just a case of us having to deal with a new general for a couple of months, why the secret meetings this morning?"

"Think about it. A new general means new rules. What Hawk let slide won't play well with General Bradshaw."

"Okay, but why would?" Shipwreck started to ask before the realization hit him. "Oh, I get it."

"Yep. He was kind enough to give us a heads up so we can get our personal shit figured out before everyone else heard the news."

"Crap, Jaye, I'm sorry. What are you going to do?"

Lady Jaye shrugged. "We don't have much choice in the matter. So I guess all I have to say is that it was fun while it lasted."

"No, that's not right. You and Flint are practically an institution around here. If you two are truly over, than we need to start putting down some plaques around the base commemorating your finest moments."

"Whoa, wait a minute. I thought Flint put an end to any security camera spying."

"He just put an end to what we published publicly. That doesn't mean that we didn't watch things privately. I'm pretty sure you have a whole highlight reel dedicated solely to the two of you. Let me know if you ever want a copy of it."

So much for her thinking that they had done a good job of being inconspicuous. And she had to admit she was curious as to where and when they had been filmed. She may need it for research purposes. "I'll mention that to Flint. He's probably going to want to watch it too. But I don't think he's going to be happy with a copy. I'm sure he's going to want the original. I'll have him come by your room later and pick it up."

Shipwreck paled. "Did I give the impression that I had it? I'm sorry. I would never invade your privacy like that, so there's no need to sic your boyfriend on me. I was just kidding, I'm not even sure there is a tape, and if there is one, Breaker has it."

Lady Jaye couldn't help but laugh at Shipwreck's about face. It was good to see that Flint still struck terror in the man.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you for the very nice reviews! I hope to update this on at least a weekly basis.

Flint looked at the stack of paperwork on his desk and debated which pile to tackle first. It had been amazing how much busywork he had suddenly been swamped with thanks to the transferring of the generals.

Duke stormed in the room looking just as pissed off as he had been ever since he had been called into Hawk's office. Flint knew he was going through a rough time, so he had been trying to grant him a large amount of leeway, but his patience was starting to wear thin. Especially since it was Hawk's last day, and Flint knew he too had to make a very unpleasant decision soon.

"Well? What did you decide?" Duke asked in annoyance.

Flint startled as for a moment he thought Duke was hounding him for his decision about Lady Jaye. But then he remembered that earlier that morning Duke put him in charge of the general's first lunch when he arrived on base the following day. "I say we go with Roadblock. His cooking hasn't steered us wrong yet."

"Fine," Duke said. He looked at the papers on Flint's desk and frowned. "If General Bradshaw's moving reqs are in that pile on your desk, you better get them signed and turned back in. You know it takes at least forty eight hours to process, and I don't want him waiting for his stuff any longer than is necessary."

"I have everything right here. Just give me a second to pull it out." As Flint dug through his papers to get to the apparently very important relocations reqs, he began to reminisce about the good old days. He found that he missed battling Cobra troopers in the bizarre settings that Cobra Commander dreamt up. He would even take on another version of the Cobra Funhouse if it meant getting out of his office and away from his current problems.

He found what he was looking for, and after skimming through the documents, he signed on the necessary lines. Before giving the paperwork back to Duke, though, he decided to take the bull by the horns and confront Duke about his poor attitude. "Hauser, I know you've been pissed since our meeting with Hawk in his office, but since we're in the same boat…"

Duke cut him off. "Stuff it, Faireborn. The only reason why I'm in that boat is because of your behavior."

Flint let out a laugh. "And how is that? I don't remember forcing you into Scarlett's arms, and I assume her bed."

Duke scowled at him. He closed the office door before he approached Flint's desk again. "No. But because you've spent the last couple years flaunting your own relationship like HQ was a frat house that I had to get called in to be reprimanded alongside you. When Hawk talked about paying visits here and seeing blatant examples of rules being broken, who do you think was the cause of that? Because it sure as hell wasn't me."

Duke had a point. Flint had always been guilty of publicly expressing how he felt about Lady Jaye. It had even gotten him in trouble with her a few times as she had accused him of needing to mark his territory. That might have been the case on a couple of occasions when he felt that some men had been getting too close to her. But most of the time it was just the case of his emotions getting the better of him. In the beginning he had tried to keep their relationship on the down low, but as his feelings for her grew, so did the danger in the missions she went on. He still remembered how worried he had been for her when he had thought she had been lost in an African jungle. When they had been reunited, he had tried to keep his cool, but his desire to hold her in his arms overruled any sense of propriety.

And as for how they acted at HQ? Flint again felt like he had no choice in the matter since it wasn't just the place they worked, but where they lived. He had briefly tried to get a place off base, to give them a private place to escape to, but thanks to the Gamesmaster, that had been short lived. "I'm sorry if our actions here bothered you. But if you were so disturbed by it, you should have talked to me about it."

This time Duke laughed. "Right. Like that would have stopped you."

Flint shrugged. "I wouldn't have stopped seeing her, but I would have toned it down a bit."

"It wouldn't have mattered. Just the fact that every single Joe, and probably most of Cobra, knew that the two of you had a thing going was the main problem."

Flint smiled. "And you don't think the same can't be said for you and Shana? I know it's only been fairly recently that the two of you have officially hooked up, but from the moment I had joined this team I could tell the two of you had an attraction to each other. I'm sure every other Joe knew that as well. And remember Cobra's fake future Shipwreck experienced?"

Duke grimaced, and Flint instantly regretted bringing it up. It was not only a low blow but neither man liked being reminded of that particular mission. They had been disturbed by the idea that Cobra seemed to know that they both had deep feelings for a teammate. It was one of the many times that Flint had been grateful that Hawk had not been involved in the mission debrief.

However, Duke recovered quickly. "Of course I do. And that's why I realized my feelings for Scarlett were a mistake. I admit, I may have let temptation overrule my common sense these last few months, but that is going to change."

Flint put his hands up. "Whoa, I didn't mean it like that. I was just pointing out that even Cobra knew you two had something going on."

"Exactly. I knew back then how dangerous that information was, so I put my feelings aside and protected my teammate. I'd like to think I didn't take the selfish route."

That time Flint bristled at the comment. Shortly after Shipwreck had been rescued from his ill fated mission and had debriefed the other Joes about what he experienced with Cobra's fake Synthoid future, Flint had spent a typical evening hanging out with Lady Jaye in her room. He had been lost in thought contemplating the one aspect of Shipwreck's recap that had hit too close to home for Flint, the idea that Lady Jaye had been killed on a mission and he was still suffering years later.

He knew that it was silly to be so caught up in a future that wasn't real, but he didn't like that Cobra could predict his reaction to Lady Jaye's death with such accuracy. He shouldn't have been surprised, as the two of them had been on several missions where their true feelings for each other had shown through. But the fact that they now knew that she was his weakness made him wonder if she was facing an additional threat.

So he voiced his concerns to her. "I hope I haven't made you a target to Cobra."

She put down the book she was reading. "Why? Because of our relationship? I think I'm a target of Cobra just because I'm a Joe."

"I know. But I can't help thinking that you being killed in Cobra's faux future was a message to me."

Lady Jaye moved closer to Flint and rubbed his arm. "Cobra Commander is not that smart. I think they just needed Shipwreck to believe he was the only one left who knew the formula."

"Maybe. But I still worry that it must be awfully tempting to hit the Joe team with a double blow. Not only would they take down a prominent member, but one of the commanders would be devastated by her loss."

Lady Jaye leaned over and kissed him. Rubbing his cheek she said, "It means a lot that you care that much about me. But I think if I was top on Cobra's hit list, Destro would have done a better job of trying to kill me in his castle last month."

Flint conceded the point to her, and they moved on to other topics of conversation. However, that fear of losing Lady Jaye had always stayed in the back of his mind. Yet he never once considered breaking things off with her. Which was the opposite reaction Duke had after Shipwreck's mission. He spent the following year avoiding Scarlett at much as possible. Until he was stabbed by Serpentor. Flint figured having the near death experience changed Duke's priorities. And now Hawk's departure was going to change them again.

Which brought Flint back to his current conversation with Duke. "Just because you waited to act on it, didn't mean your feelings went away," Flint continued. "Don't even try to tell me that you haven't been just as worried about her every time she headed out on a mission as I have been about Jaye. We can't hide from our emotions, we can only choose what to do with them. If you want to ignore it and be miserable, that's your choice."

Duke shook his head. "So I guess based on that little speech, you're going to disregard Hawk's orders?"

Flint sighed. "I don't know. We haven't made any decisions yet. And for the record, Hawk didn't give out any orders, he only made suggestions."

"Yeah, but his meaning was clear enough. General Bradshaw will be here in less than twenty four hours, so you better figure out real quick what you're going to do. I know you don't give a damn about my thoughts on this, but I'm still going to pass on some advice. As the cliché goes, start thinking with your head. And remember, your actions aren't just going to affect you and her, but the whole Joe team."

Duke walked out and slammed the door behind him. Flint dropped his head in his hands. He wished it was just a case of lust that he had to get over. While that would be hard to end, at least the emotions wouldn't be running so deep. As he realized after Shipwreck's mission all those months ago, he was truly in love with Lady Jaye and the idea of ending the relationship with her devastated him. He had long ago decided that she was the one, and had even purchased an engagement ring a few weeks prior. But he had held off officially asking her to marry him until he had planned the perfect scenario. And now it looked like it may never happen.

Because as much as he loved her, he also loved his job. Which is why he wasn't running to turn in discharge papers. When he joined the Army, he hadn't planned on making it a life-long career. But during his time here he had made good friends, and encountered a job that was both exciting and challenging. Lady Jaye too had said on a number of occasions that the Joe team had become her family, and he knew she would be devastated if she had to leave it.

So even though he knew it was selfish he was going to try to make both work. It would probably take a fair amount of deception and sacrifice on their parts, and he hoped that she would be on board for it, but he was going to be damned if he was going to walk away from either the team or his love for her.

* * *

Lady Jaye lay in Flint's arms after a particularly passionate and intense lovemaking session. She was trying not to dwell on the fact that it had felt like it was the last time for them. She knew it very well could be. Hawk had said his goodbyes earlier that evening, and General Bradshaw was due to arrive on base in the morning. Their time to figure out a game plan was quickly ticking away.

Flint had done a spectacular job the last few days avoiding all talk of the future. She wondered if this was his way of sending her off. She decided she couldn't take the suspense any longer. He was now a captive audience and she was going to get him to talk. "So, have you given any thought to what we are going to do?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? It's all I thought about the last few days. What I basically decided is that I don't want to give up you or the Joes."

"Well at least we agree on that. So now what?"

Flint rolled over to face her. "Why do we have to make some kind of life changing decision? We just established that I love you, and you love me. I love working with the Joes, and so do you. Why does any of that have to change?"

"Because, as Hawk so kindly hinted at the other day, the new General will find those two scenarios mutually exclusive."

"But that's only if he knows about us."

Lady Jaye paused. She too had given thought to having a clandestine romance. In a way pulling off secret rendezvous seemed exciting. But it would be a dangerous game to play. "We could get in serious trouble if we're caught."

"Which is why we won't be. We have to be smart about this. Hawk said it should be a short-term assignment, so we would only have to keep up the charade for a little while."

Lady Jaye nestled into Flint's chest. "I have to admit I've had the same thoughts. It seemed silly to make any kind of permanent decisions based on a temporary situation."

Flint smiled and kissed her. "We may have to lay low the next few days as we get a read on him. But he's only one guy on a large base full of dozens of people. I'm sure we can find times and places to sneak away to on a fairly regular basis. It'll be like how we were at the beginning of our relationship."

Lady Jaye thought back. "Are you sure that was me you were hooking up with?" she asked with a smile. "Because I don't remember us ever being very discreet about our feelings."

"Sure we were. The whole time we were chasing Cobra as they built their pyramids, I made sure to try and keep my distance from you."

"Right. But within minutes of us winning that battle, you asked me out over an open com channel."

"If I remember correctly, I just asked if you wanted to grab dinner at the commissary. No one would consider that a date."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Okay, that is true. But the point remains that we can't screw this up."

"I know. And trust me, I am very aware of the consequences. But right now it seems like the only way. I love you too much to just walk away from what we have."

She leaned in and kissed him. "I too love you. And I'm willing to give this a shot. I just hope we both don't end up losing our jobs."

* * *

The whole team stood at attention as they waited for the General's plane to arrive. Some started to fidget as the minutes dragged on, but Beachhead did his best keeping everyone in line. Finally, the helicopter appeared on the horizon. Duke turned to the crowd to give them a pep talk before the craft landed.

Lady Jaye stood in the front of the pack with Scarlett, Stalker, Ace and the other senior ranking Joes. So she had a good vantage point as she watched General Bradshaw climb out of the helicopter. He glanced at the Joes assembled, and then turned his attention to Duke, Flint and Beachhead. He shook their hands, said something to Duke, who nodded and then he faced the Joes assembled. "Thank you all for coming out this morning to welcome me. It's quite something to see a collection of the finest soldiers this country has to offer. I promise I will meet with all of you eventually, but right now I want to meet with your Top, XO and Field Commander. You are all dismissed."

They stood at attention until the four entered HQ. Once they were out of sight, they all stood down.

"Well, that was anti-climactic," Scarlett said.

"Yeah. I guess we know who the Golden Boys are," Ace added.

The Joes scattered to do their various jobs. Lady Jaye had been expecting to be called into a planning meeting, so lacking that she decided she should head to her office. She figured that at some point, she and Scarlett would be called in to go over the current state of threats, but they never received the call.

By dinnertime, her curiosity was killing her, and she was already feeling the negative of having to keep her distance from Flint. If it had been a normal day, she would have checked in with him a few times to find out what had been happening with the General. But she wasn't allowed to do that, so she had to wait with the others. She figured she would see them all at the commissary for dinner that night, but then she heard through the grapevine that the General had taken the three commanders out to dinner in town.

Once she finished dinner, she roamed from room to room looking for something exciting to distract her. But there wasn't anything. The other Joes too were scattered about looking just as restless as she was. Finally at nearly eight, her phone rang. She was happy to see it was Flint.

"If you have a few minutes, I need to talk to you," he said after she answered.

"I think I can clear my schedule. Where do you want to meet?"

"Come to my office. And do you know where Scarlett is?"

"I haven't seen her in a few hours. Do you want me to hunt her down?"

"No, I'll find her. I need to talk to her too."

Lady Jaye entered Flint's office a few minutes later. "Scarlett's on her way as well." Flint said.

Lady Jaye nodded. "So how was your first day with the general?"

"Enlightening, to say the least," Flint answered. He sighed. "Real quick, before Scarlett comes in. Based on a couple of things the General said today, I want to warn you to watch your back with him."

"Wow, that's awfully ominous."

"I know, and I don't mean to imply you're in a dangerous situation, as I don't think it's anything like that. In addition to the news I have to share, he made a few not quite chauvinistic, but not exactly women-friendly comments tonight that didn't sit well with me. So I just have a bad feeling you and the other women may be in for a rough time the next few weeks. But, right now keep this between us. As I said, it's just a feeling I have."

"I appreciate the heads up, especially as I've learned to trust your judgment."

Flint nodded as Scarlett entered his office. "Okay, good, now I can get this over with. I just want to preface this with two things. One – I'm only the messenger. And two – this is by no means permanent. I'm just asking you both to try and keep an open mind about this."

Scarlett looked at Lady Jaye. "Well after that auspicious beginning, you might as well continue."

"General Bradshaw has some changes he wants to implement here on base. As Hawk warned us, he does lean more towards a traditional military system. And the first area he wants to improve is the command structure. So starting tomorrow morning, our daily officer's call meeting will be just that, only officers."

"Wait. Won't that mean the intelligence department doesn't get a seat in these meetings?" Scarlett asked.

Flint sighed. "No, you'll still be represented. You'll be reporting to one of the officers on base who will then represent you at officer's call."

"Who is this officer?" Lady Jaye asked with dread.

Flint closed his eyes. "Falcon."

Scarlett burst out laughing. "That's funny. But seriously, who?"

"I am being serious."

Scarlett stood up. "How is he even remotely qualified to be the head of intelligence?"

"Shana if I had to guess," Lady Jaye said. "It's that he's male and he has a Lieutenant in his name."

Flint put up his hands. "Let me remind you both of the caveats I threw out before we started this little chat. This is only a test run. I'm sure General Bradshaw will realize that Falcon is not the best choice for the job. Duke and I," he began but he was cut off by Scarlett.

"Yes, what does Duke think of this development?" she asked with hostility.

"As you can probably guess, Duke is kind of torn about this decision. He too knows Falcon is not exactly the best fit, but he appreciates the opportunity his brother is getting."

Scarlett mumbled under her breath for a few moments and then Flint continued. "As I started to say, Duke and I did voice our misgivings, but we're also caught in a tough situation as we have to give the new general a chance. I know it's going to be hard, but just try to play along as best you can with this, at least for now. And it could be worse. Beachhead was put in charge of the motor pool."

Lady Jaye let out a laugh. "I can't wait to get Cover Girl's thoughts on that."

Scarlett scoffed. "Yeah, me too." She abruptly stood up. "Well, let me go find Falcon. I have a few items that I wanted to bring to the General's attention, so I guess I need to brief our new head on it." She paused at the door. "And Flint, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. It's nice to see that you at least aren't using personal excuses to shirk from your duty."

"Man, she's pissed," Flint said after the door closed behind her.

"And I think this is only the tip of the iceberg. But do you blame her? She's having an extremely bad week."

"I know. And once the dust settles I'm going to try to talk to Duke again. She's right that he pulled rank and pawned this unpleasant chat off on me. He is going out of his way to avoid her."

Flint reached for her hand to give it a quick squeeze. Then he pulled it away and sighed. Lady Jaye guessed their unpleasant chat wasn't quite over yet. She decided to help him out. "I'm going to presume, based on what little you said about General Bradshaw, that we may need to look again at our own personal situation?"

"Unfortunately, we might have to. I honestly thought that maybe Hawk was overreacting. And I got my hopes up when the General first arrived because he didn't come in barking orders about how things were going to change. He listened to the three of us about how things were currently being run, and for a short time I thought life was going to continue on like normal. We broke for lunch, and then when we came back General Bradshaw outlined his plans for the areas that he felt needed improvement. And it was just like Hawk predicted – I already told you about the more traditional command structure, but also the dress code will be enforced, and there will be a more rigid attention to discipline. Beachhead was thrilled."

"So what does this mean for us?"

"Personally, my feelings haven't changed. But professionally, I think it's in both of our best interests to keep our distance for a little while."

Lady Jaye nodded. "I agree. Professional ramifications aside, if what you say about the general is true, I'm going to have an uphill battle proving my worth to him. And that won't happen if he thinks I'm a typical floozy who is sleeping with her boss."

"Hopefully it will only be for a little while."

Lady Jaye thought back to her conversation with Shipwreck the day they learned Hawk was leaving. He was one of many Joes that had been fully aware of her relationship with Flint, which could end up being problematic. "I think we may also need to project to the others that we're through. I don't really believe any of our teammates would betray us to General Bradshaw, but it's not worth taking that chance."

Flint rested his chin on his hands. "That's a smart call. Our break-up will make its round through the gossip channel, but I'll clamp down on any noise I hear."

Lady Jaye leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "So I guess, it's official." Even though she knew the break-up wasn't real, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

Flint seemed to read her thoughts. "Al, no matter what kind of show we have to put on or deception game we need to play, I want you to know that nothing is going to change my feelings about you."

"Same here. I love you." She wanted to follow up with a kiss, but she figured there was no better time than to present to start their ruse. So she settled for patting his hand as she stood to leave. Their vows to each other did make her feel better about the situation. However, as she walked out of his office, she had a bad feeling that those were promises they might not be able to keep.


	3. Chapter 3

Flint walked outside and had to squint in the bright sun. He then knew for sure that he had spent way too much time of the previous few days inside. He had no choice, though, as the general had hit the ground running. He had wanted an appraisal of all aspects of life on the Joe base. It had started with a complete roster of current Joes and their specialties. He also wanted to know which Joes were residents, and which ones were stationed off base with their families. He then requested a blueprint of HQ, so he could review the layout of the base. Once that was completed, he then wanted Duke, Flint and Beachhead to submit the written procedures they followed in the day to day operations. Since they really didn't have any, the three had spent a sleepless night compiling them. That was a particularly ugly time. The only thing that stopped Flint from snapping in the pre dawn hours as they fought over what made a proper disciplinary procedure was the idea that he didn't know which man he wanted to hit first.

But luckily what they did come up with seemed to satisfy General Bradshaw. And he had lain off of the demands for the last twenty four hours, which gave Flint a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep. He had just woken from another nap, and had decided with nothing pressing at the moment, he wanted to go outside to watch as the afternoon PT session winded down.

It was all just an excuse to see Lady Jaye again. Other than quick glimpses over the last few days, he hadn't really seen or talked to her since their conversation in his office four days prior. He knew she had been busy as well gathering the data General Bradshaw had requested. And that was going to be the reason he used to justify pulling her aside after PT to talk to her.

However, as the PT session concluded, Flint tried to clamp down of his growing jealousy as he watched from a distance the scene on the course playing out. He was close enough to hear Lady Jaye's laughter, but not enough to actually hear anything that was being said. But whatever it was that Tunnel Rat was talking about, Lady Jaye seemed to be enjoying it immensely. And that was making Flint's blood boil. Especially since Tunnel Rat's face was lit up like a kid on Christmas who just got a new puppy to play with.

He took a couple of steps towards them but then stopped himself. He knew if he charged over there to berate Tunnel Rat, Lady Jaye was going to be pissed. She still hounded him about his previous jealous rampages. But in looking back over their history he felt he had been justified most of the time. Ron Michaels may have been an old flight school buddy, but he still felt the two had shared a very flirtatious banter. And she may be oblivious to it, but he knew for a fact that Alpine and Bazooka would love to get into her pants. The only exception was Matthew Burke. Lady Jaye had been more annoyed that he thought her standards were so low that she would even consider hooking up with the sleazy con artist. He had to give her that one.

Flint had almost talked himself out of having a chat with the kid, when Tunnel Rat reached over and placed his hand on Lady Jaye's shoulder. That was the last straw. It was obvious that Tunnel Rat must have gotten the memo that Lady Jaye was back on the market, and was looking to capitalize on it. Flint knew he couldn't bring an end to their deception just yet, but there was a room full of potatoes that Roadblock needed peeled, and the task had Tunnel Rat's name written all over it.

He approached them, but again had to stop. This time he saw General Bradshaw walking the grounds. He cursed to himself. He knew he couldn't make a scene. So he had to be content with watching from afar. He was relieved though when he watched Lady Jaye wiggle out from under Tunnel Rat's hand.

A ruckus off to his left distracted him. Flint watched as General Bradshaw called Shipwreck's name and approached the sailor. "Is that your bird?"

"What bird?"

General Bradshaw glared at him. "The one hovering behind you?"

Shipwreck turned around and startled. "I hate when he does that. Polly, I told you to stay in our room!"

"And I told you, the bird needs to go."

Shipwreck walked over to the general. "Yeah, sir, I was going to come talk to you about that. You see, Polly here, is practically a full-fledged member of the Joe team. There were at least two missions where he saved the day. Which is more than can be said for most of the guys on this team. I'm sure we can find a position for him here. Mutt and Law's dogs are being used as MPs. Polly can help them out. Think about it. Won't you want someone working security that literally has a bird's eye view?"

Flint couldn't help but smile at Shipwreck's Hail Mary attempt. However, the general was much less amused. "I want the bird gone by the end of the week."

Flint turned his attention back to Lady Jaye. She was toweling herself off, and Flint tried to keep his eyes and mind off the sight of her tight tank top. That was only going to get him in trouble. Instead he focused on Tunnel Rat who was still at her side, and also enjoying the view.

"Why are you torturing yourself?" Shipwreck asked, startling him from his thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" Flint asked.

"You don't have to play dumb with me. I know what's going on."

Flint ignored Shipwreck as he watched the scene play out. Lady Jaye said something to Tunnel Rat that caused his smile to dim. However, since he was either stubborn and/or stupid, he didn't take the hint. Flint decided that if the kid didn't leave her alone, regardless of General Bradshaw's presence, Flint was going to intervene. But again Lady Jaye held her own, and Tunnel Rat seemed to get the message.

Satisfied, Flint turned to Shipwreck. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"I know what happened between you and Jaye. And I know you were forced into it."

Flint raised his hand to silence the sailor. "Shipwreck, I appreciate the concern, but this is really something that shouldn't be discussed. If the general heard…"

This time Shipwreck interrupted Flint. "Don't worry. Us old-timers know how to keep secrets from the generals in charge. This may come as a surprise to you, but I am actually well versed in the military code, so I know what you two had to sacrifice once General Bradshaw came on base. And believe me, the last thing I want is to see either one of you court martialed."

Flint sighed. "So your point is?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. And to suggest that maybe you need a night out to drink away your troubles. From what I've seen you and Duke could use some time off."

"Thanks, but no thanks. Ask Hauser, but I'm going to pass."

Shipwreck patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. If you're not getting laid, you should at least be getting drunk. Don't we still have weekends around here, or did General By-The-Book do away with those too?"

Flint couldn't help but smile. "That's one of Hawk's rules that General Bradshaw hasn't changed yet. As long as you're not on the duty roster, Saturday is a half day, and Sunday we're off."

Shipwreck grinned. "So it sounds like we need to have a bit of a drinking session Saturday night."

"Let's see how the rest of this week plays out," Flint answered. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lady Jaye began to walk towards HQ. He didn't want to miss his opportunity. "We'll talk on Saturday."

He then, as inconspicuous as possible, chased after Lady Jaye. Once he caught up with her in the hall, they walked together in silence for a few steps. This was all new territory to him, as his normal greeting after not seeing her in a while was to engulf her in a hug, or push her against a wall for a passionate kiss. Obviously, neither one of those options was acceptable at the moment.

Lady Jaye broke the silence. "Rumor has it that Bradshaw is going to start reviewing past security tapes."

That stopped Flint in his tracks. "What? Who said that?"

"You know how the rumor mill works. I overheard Ace at lunch time telling his poker buddies that because of Bradshaw's request, they were going to have to lay low for a while. He then said he worked out a deal with Breaker to get rid of any incriminating evidence. Supposedly, Breaker and the rest of the computer guys are working overtime to help all of their buddies out. But, Flint, Shipwreck mentioned the other day that there is supposedly a whole highlight reel dedicated to the two of us."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," Flint said. Knowing that he lost his chance for any kind of catching up, Flint left her to deal with the newest situation.

He headed to the communications room, where he found Breaker busy watching the playback of a video. Flint opened his mouth to speak, but Breaker stopped him. "Flint, don't. I know what you're going to ask. Every other Joe with any kind of guilty conscience has already paid me a visit."

"When did Bradshaw ask for the video tapes? As of an hour ago, I hadn't seen any request."

"That's what funny about this. There hasn't been a request. I think somebody assumed that this was going to be the normal course of action. Maybe something was said, and then it snowballed into just about every Joe coming in here to bribe me with all kinds of shit to erase their dirty laundry.

"I'm going to tell you what I told them. Pulling up past footage smells too much like entrapment to me. So I promise that if any kind of request comes in, I'm going to have to tell General Bradshaw about the unfortunate accident that caused a massive data wipe of our old tapes. But from this point on, if you're caught doing something stupid, you have no one to blame but yourself."

* * *

That Saturday night, Lady Jaye wandered around HQ looking for everybody. She knew Scarlett and Jinx had taken a trip with Snake Eyes and Spirit to a retreat near Phoenix. And she had heard some rumblings of a night out on the town, but since she hadn't been invited she had assumed the plans had fallen through. But as she made her way around and saw there was a skeleton crew left on base, she began to feel slighted.

She went by the computer lab and saw Mainframe and Sci-Fi were in there playing a video game in front of the big screen. "Hey, do either of you know why this place is so quiet tonight?'

"Sure, a bunch of them took Flint out to," Sci-Fi began until he was hit in the leg by Mainframe. He turned and looked startled when he realized she had asked the question. "I mean, I think they took him out to, uh, celebrate, a um, good first week with the general."

"Oh, okay, thanks," Lady Jaye said with a fake smile. "I'll leave you two to your game." She then made a show of leaving, but she hesitated outside the door.

"What is wrong with you?" Mainframe asked. "Were you really going to tell her they took Flint out to drown his sorrows over their break-up?'

Lady Jaye sighed. Even though she knew this was just all part of their act she still felt betrayed by both her friends and Flint. Plus, she was especially annoyed since General Bradshaw was spending the night off base as well, and she had wanted to take advantage of that.

After the scare with the security cameras, they had sat down at breakfast the following morning to discretely lay out a set of ground rules. Nothing had really changed, since they had already assumed that all of their public interactions had to be on the up and up. But the idea of the general reviewing any behavior caught by the security camera added an extra layer of paranoia. They had decided that in order to be totally safe, any kind of getaway for physical activities would have to happen off base, and under a pretense that would be believable to the general. So that eliminated running off base in the middle of the night for a quickie on the side of the road.

The problem was coordinating schedules. The general had been running Flint ragged, and for the past few days he had had barely enough time to grab his meals and sleep on base, never mind finding the time to leave HQ. She had been much less busy, but as luck would have it the couple of times that he was free, she had the duty watch. So when she saw that she had the night free, and that the general had given Flint the night off, she had looked for him to see if he wanted to go to dinner, and possibly fool around in one of their cars. But apparently he had different priorities that night.

She debated going back to her room to start a pity part of one, but that seemed too depressing, so she continued her tour of the nearly deserted base. As she made her way outside, she finally found the one person who was in a worse mood than she was. Duke was sitting alone in a lounge chair, nursing a beer and staring at the pool. She took a seat next to him. "How come you're not out drinking with the others?" she asked.

Duke muttered a string of obscenities. "Because I'm sure I don't need to tell you all the ways that Flint and the others' behaviors tonight are really inappropriate. I'm more than ready to give him the ass chewing he deserves, but if you want, I can throw in a few extra punishments on your behalf."

"Thanks. I do appreciate that, but it's not necessary. I know this is just part of the macho act he has to put on for the guys."

Duke stared at her a moment, shook his head and then took another swig of his beer. "There are so many times that I wonder how you ever put up with him." Lady Jaye bit back several retorts, especially the one where she wanted to tell him she nearly asked Scarlett that same question a few times, as she wasn't in the mood to pick a fight with Duke. So, as a rarity for her, she sat quietly while Duke continued to rant and rave. "But I'm glad in the end, you made the right call. No relationship is worth risking your career."

Lady Jaye exhaled sharply. That was where her thoughts differed from Duke. Yes, it wasn't worth sacrificing everything you worked at for a casual fling or a quick lay. But if you found someone you truly loved and cared for, you shouldn't have to give up a shot at happiness for your career either. However, she didn't want to fight with Duke over it that night. Luckily, Duke seemed more than happy to continue the one sided conversation.

"I'd offer you a beer, but it's my last one. I'm clearing out my fridge."

"That's okay. I have a few in mine. Do you want me to get a couple?"

"Don't do it on my behalf. I want to be sober when I greet your ex and his friends on their return. I'm not putting up with any bullshit tonight."

She agreed with Duke on that one. She too should probably stay sober, just in case Flint's judgment was impaired. Someone needed to make sure they didn't do anything stupid. She settled back into the lounge chair and looked up into the night sky.

She finally noticed that Duke was staring at her, so she turned to face him and waited for him to speak. "I don't get it. How come you've remained so calm through this? I've seen you flip out on much more trivial matters before."

"Maybe I don't feel like having a public meltdown."

Duke laughed. "That would be a first."

Lady Jaye was torn. She obviously couldn't admit the whole truth, but in addition to being her superior officer, Duke was a good friend. So he deserved some version of the truth. "It's because, like I said, I know it's an act. We may have put things on hold but neither one of us believes it's permanent."

Duke nodded. "Ah, so that explains it. I have to commend you for the first time doing something discreet. I wondered if Flint heard anything I said during our little chat the other day."

Lady Jaye may have been annoyed with Flint, but she wasn't about to let Duke get away with badmouthing him without a fight from her. "He's not a complete idiot. He, and I, are fully aware of the consequences. But, I really love him, and I know he feels the same about me. And I don't think that's going to change with the arrival of a new general."

Duke shook his head. "Allison, it scares me a little that you make it sound so easy. I hope you're prepared for the fact that it might not be so cut and dry like you think."

"Don't worry. I've already seen firsthand these last few days that none of this is going to be easy. But that doesn't make me any less willing to try." Lady Jaye stood up. She had one last closing thought before she left Duke alone. "I, at least, am willing to fight for the person I love."

"Whoa, sit back down. You're not going anywhere," Duke ordered. "I know you all think I'm an asshole, and maybe I am. Trust me, I don't want to be the bad guy, but unfortunately it's in my job description. Being Top means I have to put aside what I want and do what's best for the team. Do you think I wanted to end things with Shana? It killed me knowing that I was breaking her heart.

"Maybe we too could have put things on hold. But we're not in the same place. You and Flint have established a long history together, so I get not wanting to walk away from all that. To tell Shana to put her personal life on hold while we wait to see if things work out professionally seems awfully cruel. I don't want to string her along, and have her hate me in the end."

Lady Jaye frowned as she looked at Duke. He obviously didn't realize how badly his actions had hurt Scarlett. If she didn't hate him at the moment, she was pretty darn close. But maybe he was right, that in the long run this was better for her. At least now she has a chance to grieve and move on.

And if Lady Jaye was honest with herself, she too was worried that this deception was going to slowly erode away her relationship with Flint. When they had been lying in bed together the night that Hawk had left, and had talked about continuing on in secret, it seemed like it would be an exciting adventure. However, the last few days had been anything but. She had thought that it was going to be she and Flint engaged in a clandestine battle, and that they could get through anything as long as the two of them were working together. But she was starting to get the feeling that she was fighting the war alone.

These were thoughts that were not helping her current frame of mind. So to distract herself she changed the topic of conversation. "So what do you think of General Bradshaw?"

Duke shrugged. "I haven't formed a strong opinion one way or the other. He's no Hawk, but those are big shoes to fill. What do you think of him?"

Lady Jaye too shrugged. "I know I shouldn't go by first impressions, since I really haven't spent any time with him. But the fact that he's ignored probably seventy five percent of the people on this base, says a lot to me. Maybe we were spoiled by Hawk, who really got to know each and every member on this team. And maybe General Bradshaw will surprise me and do that in the future. But if I had to give my opinion on what I've seen so far, I think the man is a jackass."

Duke laughed long and hard. "Thanks, Jaye, I needed that."

They sat in silence for a little while, until Lady Jaye's curiosity got the best of her and she went into the rec room to wait for the return of the partiers. She wanted to be present to hear any stories that might be shared about that night.

She was rewarded about forty five minutes later when a group came into the room to start a raucous game of pool. Flint was among them, and she could see that he had freely partaken in the drinks that night. In fact, he was so tipsy, that he didn't even realize she was sitting there until ten minutes after he arrived. He had just taken an awful shot at the pool ball, and when he looked up he caught her eye. He frowned at her and started to approach her, but he was stopped by Roadblock who whispered something in his ear. Flint nodded, and Lady Jaye decided she had seen enough. She got up and left.

The next morning she took advantage of the off day, and slept in. As she rolled over and saw that it was after nine, she was surprised with how late she did sleep. Usually she had the good intentions to catch an extra couple of hours of shut-eye only to be defeated by her natural tendency to wake up at a pre dawn hour. She was glad that she did sleep late, as it wasn't a total day off for her. She had a double watch shift that was starting at 1400. She still had plenty of time, so she leisurely got ready and then made her way to the commissary for a late breakfast.

On the way there she received a call from Duke, who apparently was making good on his promise to punish the Joes that went out celebrating. He told her that due to several Joes' misbehavior the previous night that she didn't have to report to the first of her watch shifts. She instantly started to plan her impromptu afternoon off. Her first instinct was to wonder what Flint was up to that day. But she just as quickly dismissed the idea as she would actually be okay with spending the day alone. More than likely, he still had something to do with the General, and even if he didn't she was sure he was probably going to be hungover and cranky from the night out. And to be honest, as petty as it was, she was still a little mad so that was added motivation to spend the afternoon without him.

She entered the mostly empty cafeteria, grabbed a couple of items and sat down at one of the tables. She was joined a short time later by the man she was most trying to avoid.

"Alison, I want to apologize for last night."

She tried to blow it off. "Don't worry about it. I know it's just part of our act. But I do have to say, that if we had been really broken up, going out to drink with all of our friends to commiserate about it, is a really shitty move."

"I know, and that's why I'm sorry."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Please tell me you didn't spend the whole night badmouthing me."

"No! First of all, I would never do that to you. And secondly, even if I did want to put on a show, your teammates respect you too much to let me get anyway with anything like that. When I saw you in the rec room last night, I wanted to apologize to you then, but Roadblock stopped me. He misread my intentions, and thought I was going to give you a hard time. Which in retrospect, was a good thing since I wasn't very coherent at that point."

"Yeah, I noticed. And that's why I left. So did you have a good time?"

"It was okay, but I did miss you," he added quietly.

"Yep, but I wasn't invited." That was another point that upset her. Apparently her teammates made it clear whose side they stood on.

"Alison, don't take it personally. This was just an excuse to go out, participate in male bonding and blow off some steam."

"Male bonding? Wasn't Court with you?"

Flint grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, but you know she's really just one of the guys." Lady Jaye grunted in reply and then he continued. "Look, I'm sure they'll want to take you out next week. And if you do, I recommend that you don't drink every shot they buy for you. It wasn't a pleasant experience once they caught up with me."

"I'd like to say I'd feel bad for you, but I really don't. I went looking for you last night. I had hoped that we could have dinner somewhere."

Flint sighed. "I was hoping for that too. I thought that we could go out just the two of us, before I joined the others later on, but Shipwreck ambushed me as soon as I was dismissed by the general. And you know how persuasive he could be."

Lady Jaye again grunted in response. She was actually glad it did not play out the way he wanted, because she probably would have been more annoyed if he had ditched her after dinner for a night out with their friends. "What are your plans for today? Nursing your hangover?"

"I wish. General Bradshaw is looking for a hand redecorating his office. So I'd figured I'd try and get on his good side by helping him out."

"That's a smart move. But wait, if he's redecorating, does that mean this assignment isn't as temporary as Hawk thought?"

Flint shrugged. "Who knows? General Bradshaw from the beginning claimed that he was only filling in, but based on the changes he's making he's sure giving the impression that he's going to be here a while."

"Damn," Lady Jaye said.

"I know. But that's why I want to spend some time with him. I'm hoping we can have a good chat so I can find out where he really stands on things."

"Well, good luck with that. I, on the other hand, am heading to the mall."

"The mall? Don't you have the watch later?"

"I did up until about a half hour ago. Duke called and told me one of his problem children is going to take my shift. I didn't ask who, and I didn't argue. So, I'm going shopping. I was hoping to maybe get some new lingerie items, but it sounds like I won't be needing it for a while."

Flint groaned. "Don't be hasty. If he's still around in a few weeks, we'll figure something out." He looked at his watch. "Damn it. If I had known you were going to be off, I wouldn't have volunteered to help out the general. But I don't think it should take that long. I can try and meet up with you later."

"Okay, but I still have the night shift, so I'll need to be back by dinner," Lady Jaye answered.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Flint said. "I should be done by 1300, or 1400 tops. I'll call you when I leave."

"That sounds good," she said. The conversation she just had with Flint, helped change her earlier thoughts on a rendezvous. She realized she did want to spend the time with him. But in the meantime, she had to keep up pretenses. She had noticed that the cafeteria had filled up during their conversation. Based on how several Joes looked, she guessed that most of them had spent the morning sleeping off the activity of the night before. "We probably shouldn't look too friendly with each other." She abruptly stood up. "Flint, you're a real asshole," she said in a loud enough voice for the couple of tables around her to hear. She then stormed from the cafeteria.


	4. Chapter 4

Flint looked at his watch and grumbled to himself when he saw how late it was. He knew that his grand plan for the afternoon was now not going to happen. Offering to meet up with Lady Jaye had been spur of the moment, but as soon as he said it he knew that he wanted to make it happen. When she mentioned the lingerie, his mind was more than happy to fill in the visual image. And then his brain, as well as a lower extremity, pointed out that it had been nine days since he had had sex with her.

So finding a way to meet up with her had become a priority for him. He had fantasized about going to see a movie, just so he could be alone in a darkened theater with her. He was even willing to find one of the motels that rented by the hour, since desperate times called for desperate measures. But before he could act any of that out, he needed to keep his promise to the general.

That had been derailed right from the start. They had agreed to meet at 1100, which Flint figured gave him a couple of hours to work with the general, before he could make his excuse to leave. However, when he went to the office at the appointed time, the general was not there. He arrived a half hour later, right at the point that Flint was going to walk away.

General Bradshaw apologized, and said he got caught up with taking care of a few issues back in DC. He still needed to make a few calls so he asked Flint to return in an hour. Flint spent the time researching motels, and found one that was close by, and looked to be fairly "nice". The search left him very hot and bothered, so he debated whether he should go for a run or take a shower. Since he knew Bradshaw was looking for manual labor, he figured he wouldn't be put off if Flint showed up slightly sweaty and in PT gear.

It turned out he had time enough for both. Once he completed his run, and went to General Bradshaw's office, he was again waved off. The General apologized once more, said he needed a few more minutes and told Flint to take a shower. He promised that once he returned, he'd be ready to go. That was going to be the general's last chance. If Flint went back, and the general wasn't ready, he was going to bail.

So, of course it meant that the general was finally ready for him once he went back the last time. And Flint quickly realized that the help he was giving wasn't going to be completed in a couple of hours. General Bradshaw pointed out the boxes that needed to be unpacked, and the bookshelves that needed to be assembled. Flint sighed and realized it had been a complete mistake to volunteer for this errand. He wasn't the handiest of guys. In fact he remembered a mission or two, where it was Lady Jaye that took a look at their broken down vehicles because she knew he wasn't going to be much help. He had the basic skills to assemble the bookcases, but it was going to take a lot longer than if one of the guys from the motor pool did it.

To make matters worse, General Bradshaw continued to be tight-lipped and not much of a conversationalist. After Flint's third attempt to engage the general in a discussion, he gave up. Which was double frustrating because not only was he alone with his thoughts of what he was missing with Lady Jaye, he wasn't even going to accomplish the goal of getting to know the general better.

The one thing he did decide as he hammered the shelves of the bookcase together, come hell or high water, he was going to find a way to be alone with her that night. The general's phone rang, and he excused himself to answer it. It wasn't a long call, but once the general hung up his demeanor had completely changed.

"Flint, I need to apologize for my behavior, as I've been distracted. On my way over here, I got a call from my wife that my son was involved in a bike accident."

"Oh no, sir, I'm sorry. Is he okay?"

"Yes, thank God. That was her calling from the hospital. He does have a broken arm, but he'll be back to normal in six weeks or so. That's why this afternoon hasn't gone to plan. Once I got the hysterical phone call from my wife, I tried to do everything I could for them from here, which wasn't much. So, anyway, I appreciate you putting up with me today."

Flint nodded. Now that the general had started the conversation, Flint wanted to keep it going. "How old is your son?"

"Eight. I also have an older son that's eleven." General Bradshaw grabbed a photo frame from one of the boxes and handed it to Flint. "We had a photo shoot a couple of months ago. That's my wife Eileen, Derrick and Brian. Brian is the daredevil of the family, so it's not his first trip to the hospital. But that doesn't mean I worry any less every time he ends up there, especially when I'm not home."

"I can understand that," Flint said. Seeing the general in a relaxed moment with his family solidified the thought that Flint's initial impression had been in error. The idea that General Bradshaw was an egotistical and chauvinistic old man was being disproven bit by bit each passing day. He handed the photo back. "You have a good looking family, sir."

"Thank you," General Bradshaw said as he placed the photo on his desk. He stared at it a moment before he turned his attention back to Flint. "So, Flint, tell me a little bit about yourself. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to read through everyone's records yet."

Flint pulled over a chair and sat down. "First off, here's a tip. Ask Jaye for a copy of everyone's filecard. It's a condensed version of each Joe's history, and much easier to remember."

General Bradshaw frowned. "Who's Jay? I thought everyone went by code names here."

Flint laughed nervously. "That is a code name, or at least a shortened version of it. Lady Jaye, she works in intelligence and personnel."

"Ah, yes. The brunette, correct?"

Flint nodded. He felt the need to further explain himself in case the general dwelt on the casual use of her name. "Hawk's rule was that code names always had to be used on missions, in battles, and basically anytime we're on duty in the public eye. He liked us to continue the practice while on base, and most of us do. But since this is home to many of us, and we interact with each other in casual settings as well as professional, the way we address each other has become a mashup of code names, nick names and real names. Sometimes I even find myself carrying over the mainstream army's tradition of barking out last names."

General Bradshaw frowned. "That sounds reasonable, and as long as everyone is clear on how to address each other on the battlefield, I'm okay with it. It may not seem like a big deal, but the last thing you want in the midst of a firefight is confusion. I'm sure you all believe you have mastered the art of dealing with Cobra, but since all indications have shown that the war with them is over, we have to be prepared to take on a new enemy who may play by different rules."

Flint sill wasn't convinced they had seen the last of Cobra, but he wasn't going to argue the point with the general. Instead he asked, "Have you picked a code name yet?"

"I have a few I've been mulling over, but since I'm still here on a temporary basis, I've held off on choosing one. If my stay here becomes more permanent than I'll make the decision. How did you get your code name?"

"Flint's been my nickname since I was thirteen. I was never a fan of my first name, Dashiell, but when my middle school classmates started making fun of it, I looked for something that was a bit more manly. I was a big fan of Spider Man comics back then, so when the Sandman character adopted the name "Flint" to sound more macho, I thought I could do the same. Surprisingly, it did stick, and it seemed like an obvious choice when I joined the Joes."

"It is a good, strong name. And I'm sure quite a hit with the ladies."

Flint laughed. "It hasn't hurt."

"You mentioned that you lived on base, so I assume you aren't married."

"No, sir, not yet," Flint answered. He could have left it at the simple answer, but the whole point of him hanging with the general that afternoon was to get a chance to get to know him better. So he continued in a less than truthful fashion. "I thought I had found the one, but that didn't end well."

General Bradshaw nodded. "That's right, I did hear talk about you going through a tough time. I wasn't sure, though, if that was you or Duke."

"Actually, we've both recently suffered through breakups."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm not surprised. This is a tough business to not only meet a woman, but to try and keep a relationship going. The only reason why I've made it work is that my wife is a saint that has an amazingly high amount of patience for this lifestyle. So my advice to you is that if you do find one willing to put up with this bullshit, to hold on to her."

Flint paused. He then decided to throw all his cards on the table. "Yes, but how many women are willing to do that? It almost seems easier to date someone already in the service."

General Bradshaw frowned and shook his head. "Be careful with those kinds of thoughts, Flint. I know it's probably tempting to look for something close to home, but that could end up being very dangerous territory. I know it's not politically correct to say, but I still don't think it's a good idea to have women on the front lines. I'm more of the old school mindset that they shouldn't be put into harm's way. And I know that having men and women living and working together in this kind of close condition, can just lead to trouble."

"I hope then sir, that your experience with the Joe team will help you see that's not always the case. Scarlett and Cover Girl have been members of the team since the beginning, with Lady Jaye joining shortly thereafter. They've more than proved their worth to this team. I can show you lists of missions that would have gone very badly if it hadn't been for their efforts. And Jinx has only been with us a few months, but she was a critical component of defeating Cobra in the Himalayas."

"I have read through their files. I do have to admit that they all have very impressive records. But that still doesn't take away the social and emotional problems that can arise. I've seen a few reports of troubling incidents that have occurred over the last few years."

"You're right, we're not totally immune. But if you noticed those occurred in our Greenshirts ranks, where they tend to be both more immature and less disciplined. It may sound like too easy of an answer, but once someone becomes a full-fledged Joe, they know better. And if for some reason they still think they can degrade one of the women on the team, they learn pretty quickly from not only the woman in question, but her teammates that it is not acceptable behavior. If it still progresses and comes to our attention on the command staff, well we too make it quite clear that it won't be tolerated."

"It sounds like you have a good handle on the situation. Once things calm down, I have to make a point of sitting down with each of the ladies and having a talk with them. I'm curious as to why they chose this lifestyle, and what their experience has been like."

"That will be a good idea, sir," Flint said, but inwardly he thought _, Jaye's going to love that._

They fell into silence again, and once Flint finished the bookcase he stacked it mostly full of the books the general had packed up. Normally he would have spent more time perusing the titles to determine the kind of reader General Bradshaw was, but he was getting antsy to wrap up the afternoon. As he glanced at his watch, and saw how late into the afternoon it was, he figured he was probably already too late, but he still wanted to give the meet-up with Lady Jaye a chance. "This is done, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

General Bradshaw glanced around the office. "No, I think we're good for now. It's starting to take shape in here. Thanks for your help, and I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

Flint practically ran from the office. Pulling out his phone, he hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

Lady Jaye returned to Headquarters in no better a mood than when she left. She had a nice day alone, but that was the key word, it had been alone. Working under the assumption that Flint was going to meet her, she had quickly shopped for the items she needed. She then killed time browsing the other stores, and having a leisurely lunch while waiting for a phone call that didn't come.

She wasted a couple more hours by going to see a movie she had no interest in. Even though it was later in the afternoon, she still figured Flint was going to call her. But he never did. By the end of the movie she was fuming. She walked out of the theater a few minutes early and returned back to base.

What bothered her most was that she would have been perfectly happy having a nice afternoon by herself at the mall. It was what she wanted originally. However, when he looked upset about the missed opportunity, she had let him dangle the carrot of a secret rendezvous, and she had looked forward to it. But then he didn't have the decency to show up or even call her to tell her he couldn't make it.

As luck would have it, her phone rang within minutes of returning to base. She was ready to chew Flint out for his timing, but it turned out to be Duke. Who again granted her a reprieve from her duty shift. She almost thought about arguing to keep it, since she had nothing else to do, but she kept quiet.

Still full from lunch, she grabbed a salad from the dinner line, and sat at a small table in the corner of the cafeteria. She stabbed at her vegetables while she continued to bitch out Flint in her head.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the arrival of Shipwreck. "So, big plans tonight?" he asked as he took one of the empty seats.

Of course the first question he asked was one that annoyed her. "Hardly," Lady Jaye mumbled.

"Great!" Shipwreck replied. "Well, actually, not great because you've turned into quite the grumpy hermit. But hopefully, you'll join us for movie night. Breaker, through one of his totally legal channels, got his hands on that Will Smith summer blockbuster."

Now that was good news. She knew she hadn't been the only "grumpy hermit" living on base, as all of the Joes had been on their best behavior and had turned into unpleasant former versions of themselves in the days since General Bradshaw's arrival. It was like living on a base full of Beachheads. So the fact that movie night was back on the same weekend that most of the Joes went out drinking were maybe signs that things were slowly returning to normal. So hanging out in the rec room sounded like fun, and would provide a nice distraction from her thoughts. But first she still had a bone to pick with Shipwreck.

"Oh, Ship, I'm flattered. You're actually inviting me to this event?"

"Jaye, don't be like that. You're hurting my feelings. You know I love you, and if I had to choose between you and the big guy, I would always choose you. But I'm also bound by the code – bros before hos and I had to come to my buddy's side in his time of need."

Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. She realized she didn't have a comeback for that argument. Shaking her head, she said. "I'll see you later."

She finished up her meal, when her phone rang again. This time it was Flint. "Al, I'm so sorry. You're not by any chance still out?"

"No. I got back a little while ago to prepare for my watch shift that Duke then relieved me from."

"So you're free tonight? Do you want to get dinner somewhere?"

"I just finished eating."

"Okay, how about a movie? Or we can get a drink somewhere? Or anything else you want to do."

Lady Jaye sighed. "Dash, I really don't want to go back out. Besides I made plans to watch the movie in the rec room tonight."

"Oh, okay," Flint said, the disappointment evident in his voice. "I understand," he said.

Lady Jaye muttered an apology before she hung up. She then made her way to the rec room where she took a seat on the couch in between Cross Country and Lowlight. She became engrossed in the action film and barely noticed when Cross Country stood up to leave. She did, however, notice who took his place. Despite her anger at him, she was all too aware that it was the closest she had been to Flint since the night before the General arrived. All of their face-to-face conversations of the past week have been done with a buffer zone between them. But now he was sitting right next to her and she suddenly couldn't concentrate on the movie.

Her distraction only became worse as Flint was apparently using the dark room to his advantage. His hand draped across her leg and he began to rub at her inner thigh. The effect was instantaneous. She felt a deep, intense throbbing at the pit of her stomach, and she understood why she had been so mad at him earlier. She desperately wanted him, so the fact that he blew her off frustrated her.

But apparently he was looking to try again. Despite her own desire, she knew this was not the time or the place for it. She abruptly stood up, and excused herself as she passed in front of Lowlight and a couple of other Joes as she made a quick exit from the rec room. As she continued on down the hall, she wasn't surprised that Flint followed her out. "Al, wait."

She tried to ignore him but she found herself slowing down and then stopping. "Damn it, Flint." She hoped the use of his code name would help convey the professionalism they were supposed to be showing each other. She looked up and down the hall to make sure it was empty. "You know the rules. If you wanted this, you should have met with me earlier," she growled in a whisper.

"I know, I'm an idiot and I'm sorry. I want to tell you all about it so please, meet me upstairs in a half hour." He then went back into the rec room.

She stared after him for a few moments before she continued her walk down the hall. She wandered around the base aimlessly until she calmed down, and could think clearer. All she had to do was go to her room, go to bed, and when he went up to the roof and saw that she wasn't there he would realize she was serious about following the rules they put in place for themselves. It was really a no-brainer.

So, of course, she went up to meet him. As she waited for him to arrive she told herself she was only doing it because he didn't deserve a complete brush-off. But she would make clear her feelings, that meeting like this was too dangerous.

Her resolve held until she saw him emerge from the shadows. He quickly cut the distance between them. Grabbing the sides of her face in his hands he brought her close for a long, intense kiss. She again felt that ache for him that she was powerless to ignore. She moaned. "Dash, this is so stupid."

"It is but I don't care."

She didn't either. She knew the smart call would be to walk away. But she desperately wanted him, both emotionally and physically. "I missed you."

"Me too. And I missed this," he said breathlessly as his hands went to unbutton her pants.

Afterwards, as she redressed she asked him, "Is this how our life is going to be from now on? We do our best to play by the rules for a few days until we can't take it anymore?"

"It might be worth it if the sex is this good each time we give in."

She too had to admit the sex was pretty amazing. But it still seemed like a terrible way to live. Flint sat down on the roof and he pulled her down. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she was enjoying the close contact with him. She sat between his legs and rested her head against his chest. "I don't know. This past week has been so frustrating."

Flint kissed the top of her head. "Believe me, I know how hard this has been. But I think we only have to put up the act a little while longer, as I think General Bradshaw may be coming around."

Lady Jaye scoffed at the comment. "I'll take your word on that."

"No, I'm serious," Flint said. "We had a good talk this afternoon. And I approached the idea of dating coworkers with him."

Lady Jaye shifted so she could get a better look at him. "How on earth did you work that into a conversation?"

Flint summarized the discussion about the general's son, and his family, and how it segued into Flint's dating life. He then told her how he said that dating civilians was hard, and after mentioning dating coworkers, he described General Bradshaw's reaction.

"Telling you it's a bad idea is hardly a stamp of approval," Lady Jaye pointed out.

"True, but he didn't say he would throw the book at me either."

"That's only because he thought you were speaking in hypotheticals. If you came out and admitted that you've been sleeping with me for three years, I'm sure he would be a lot more forthcoming on what punishment he deemed fit. And speaking of punishment, as nice as this is, we really shouldn't do it again."

"What, the sex? I disagree. I think we need to do that as often as we can."

Lady Jaye chuckled. "Dash, you know what I mean."

He gave her a squeeze. "I do. And you're right. The last few days have been crazy, but that's to be expected with the general's arrival. And I know our schedule conflicts have been mostly my fault, but I promise that I'll be better about freeing up some time. I was serious about trying to make this work, and I think we can pull it off."

Lady Jaye wasn't quite as optimistic, but she wasn't going to burst his bubble. "I hope you're right."

"I know I am. And one way that I think will help is if we look into getting an apartment off base."

Lady Jaye nodded. She liked the idea. They wouldn't be able to officially move in together, but it would be nice to have a place to escape to. "Does this mean you've gotten over your fear of being kidnapped by the Gamesmaster again?"

Flint laughed. "Yeah, I'm ready to take my chances again."

Lady Jaye settled back against his chest. It was soothing lying against him just feeling him breathe. She also contemplated the deeper meaning of Flint's question. The fact that he said the two of them, and not just him, should get the apartment meant a lot to her. It was further confirmation that he was ready to take their relationship to the next level.

As her thoughts continued, she dozed off. She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until Flint gently shook her awake. "Al, I'm sorry, but we should probably get back."

She sat up and yawned. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you."

"No, it was nice. I've missed that."

She turned around and kissed him. "I love you. I don't want to go back." Even though she meant what she said, she did.


	5. Chapter 5

"The man is an asshole!" Cover Girl ranted as she barged into their living room.

"You're going to need to be more specific," Scarlett said as she looked up from the report she had been reading. "Because I can think of a few men that fit that bill right now."

"Bradshaw," Cover Girl answered. She walked over to their kitchenette, opened their refrigerator, and stuck her head in.

"Don't be shy, Court. Please take what you want, and make yourself at home," Lady Jaye said with a smirk.

Cover Girl grunted. She pulled out one of the bottles of beer. "I'm so glad you're also ignoring the 'no alcohol in our rooms' policy. Anyone else want one?"

Scarlett said she did but Lady Jaye shook her head. "I have to go on duty in a little while. And for the record, we're not intentionally breaking the rules. Those are left over from the last get together we had."

"That's right," Scarlett echoed. She toasted Cover Girl's bottle as she took a seat on the couch. "We're good girls who play by rules."

Cover Girl scoffed. "And that's why the two of you are sitting in here with only each other for company."

Lady Jaye ignored the comment. Her relationship problems, both real and imagined, were frustrating enough without having to hash them over with Cover Girl. "So what did our fearless leader do this time?"

Cover Girl shook her head and cursed under her breath. "He's hell bent on changing everything. I understand that from the outside, the motor pool looks like its run by a bunch of degenerates, but for the most part it's worked. However, that's not good enough for Bradshaw, which is fine. I'm willing to make improvements. But the ones that he's suggested are idiotic. And when I've tried to talk to him about it, to offer up what I think are better improvements, he blows me off. He keeps telling me that I have to follow proper protocol and take up my grievances with Beachhead. And we all know I'd be better off talking to a brick wall."

"Court, you're preaching to the choir," Scarlett replied. "I can give you a song and dance about how we're going through the same thing. Falcon isn't even qualified to photocopy our intelligence documents, yet we have to run everything we do by him."

"Exasperating doesn't even begin to describe our feelings on this," Lady Jaye added.

"And what I think is the most infuriating part in all this is how Duke and Flint have just completely rolled over and played dead on this."

This time it was Scarlett that muttered under her breath. Cover Girl looked at her and patted her on the thigh. "Sorry. I know those two are sore subjects in here, but they're still our bosses and I don't think what they're doing is what's best for the Joe team."

Lady Jaye thought back to her previous conversations with both Flint and Duke. Despite her unhappiness with the situation, she knew it wasn't their fault. "Courtney, don't blame them. I really think their hands have been tied. And remember, this is only temporary."

"Don't tell me you really believe the short timer talk. From what I hear, Bradshaw has already redecorated Hawk's office. So I'm not holding out hope that he's going to be gone any time soon. And even if he is only here for a few weeks, that still a few weeks too long of having to put up with Beach's bullshit."

"And Falcon's," Scarlett added. She took a deep sigh before she continued. "And Duke's. I know Con was put in a really tough situation, and I'd like to think that he's trying to do what's best, but I have a hard time believing that. Or he may only be doing what he feels is best for himself. Which disappoints me. He was never that kind of man. I can't believe that he's either turned into a complete sell-out or a fucking coward."

Lady Jaye bristled at Scarlett's choice of obscenity. Shana O'Hara, while not the total epitome of a Southern Belle, never had developed the kind of full-fledged potty mouth that so many of the other Joes, including Cover Girl, possessed. So when she did utter a curse, especially the granddaddy of them all, people took notice. Lady Jaye didn't blame her in the slightest for feeling like she did. Duke's behavior had been pretty despicable the last couple of weeks. Still, she tried to console her friend. "Shana, I just think he got blindsided by General Bradshaw. He's reacted badly, but I think he'll come around eventually."

Scarlett scoffed. "Oh yeah? Flint was blindsided by the same news, and I don't see him acting like an asshole to you."

"Yeah, not to turn this into an even more depressing chat, but what are you two doing?" Cover Girl asked as she turned towards Lady Jaye. "I find it hard to believe that after all these years, you simply wished each other well and went your separate ways because of Bradshaw."

Lady Jaye sighed. She had hoped that their conversation could stay with their professional grievances, and not turn personal. She didn't have the heart or energy to come clean to her friends. She looked at her watch, and realized she actually had a legitimate excuse to avoid an answer. "I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to be coy, but I really do have to be on duty in ten minutes. The answer is too long and complicated to get into it now. Let's make plans to go out later in the week, and I'll give you all the gory details while I cry in my beer. Which reminds me, Court, you owe me a night out, since you were more than happy to join Dash in his 'happy break-up' drink fest the other night."

Cover Girl cringed. "Don't take it personal. I just really needed a night out to blow off some steam, and it seemed like a good excuse as any. Plus, like I said, I'm not buying it. I know if he had truly lost you, he'd be devastated. And he's not acting the part."

Lady Jaye knew it was time for her to leave. She grabbed a couple of folders, and bid her friends good night. The one positive thing about their deep conversation, was that she knew now her duty shift was going to go by fast as she had plenty of things to think about.

She took a few steps down the hall and practically ran into the man that was occupying most of her thoughts. She smiled at him and pointed towards her suite door. "I have to warn you, you don't want to go in there."

He smiled in return. "Thanks for the heads up, but I came looking for you. I saw you had the watch tonight, and I thought I'd walk you over. So, I take it Scarlett's having a bad night?"

"She was fine, until Cover Girl came by to egg her on. Now they have quite the bitch session going on."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "No, I really don't. But, if you have a few minutes free I have a couple of Cobra related theories I want to bounce off of you." She had been chasing a lead before she had been rudely interrupted by Cover Girl barging into her room. She was fairly certain that she was grasping at straws, but since her suspicions involved the Baroness and a mission she and Flint had been on, she wanted to get his opinion on her theory. That at least was the professional excuse she was using to want to be in his company that evening.

"I don't have anything planned, so I'd love to hear what you have."

"Okay. Give me a few minutes to do turnover, and get settled in. And then I'll go over it."

He grinned at her, and she swore she felt her heart flutter. "I'll pick up a couple of coffees, do a walk through and I'll meet you back here in a half hour."

She watched him walk away and she berated herself for her behavior. Cover Girl had seen right through their ruse, so how many other Joes had also? But if they had, did it matter? As long as no one went to General Bradshaw with definitive proof that she and Flint had an active relationship, it didn't really matter what everyone thought and suspected. So long as they refrained from physical contact, there was no harm in two teammates getting together to talk about potential Cobra threats. She had no problem being alone and chatting with Shipwreck, Alpine, Ripcord or any of her other male friends on the team, so why should it be any different with Flint?

 _Because you are in love with him and you're not allowed to be_ , her voice of reason pointed out. She barely paid attention to Dusty's turnover report as her mind went through an internal struggle. But she quieted any dissenting thoughts once Flint walked through the door with two coffees in his hands. She could see that he too was trying to maintain a professional stance. "So, Jaye, what's going on?"

She got right down to business. Although, even the mission she was referring to was full of personal memories. "I'm sure you remember Socrates Airtes"

"Of course I do," Flint answered with a grin. "However I may have a few hazy spots in my recollections due to the Baroness's perfume."

Lady Jaye smiled at the memory. She had given him such a hard time afterwards for falling under the Baroness's charm, and he had done his best to make it up to her that night on the yacht. She knew those were the kinds of thoughts that were going to get her in trouble, so she cleared her mind and got back on track. "Since you were kind of distracted with making goo-goo eyes at the Baroness, you may not have paid much attention to the rest of the women that were in attendance that night. But it was a pretty impressive guest list. In addition to the low level royalty there was a mix of heiresses and women that amassed a small fortune in their own right."

Lady Jaye pulled out a photo of a pretty brunette. "I don't know if you recognize this woman, Duchess Katerina of Bavaria. I had the privilege of making her acquaintance, when I tackled her thinking she was the Baroness trying to escape. She had been one of the ladies vying for Socrates' attention that night. As we know, none of the women won his love and affection, but apparently Duchess Katerina did walk away with a consolation prize. She started a relationship with one of Socrates' good friends shortly thereafter and the two will be getting married this weekend in one of the small but picturesque Greek islands. The local media there has been buzzing about it for a few days now, and earlier today they published a partial guest list. Which name jumps out at you?" she asked as she pushed the paper towards Flint.

"Anastasia DeCobray. So the Baroness will be attending the wedding. That alone is enough to give us an excuse to send at team out there. Maybe we can catch up on the last few months over a tray of passed hors d' oeuvres."

"Agreed. But to take it a step further, I'm concerned that she might be resorting to her old tricks and bringing along her love potion that worked so well on you and Socrates."

"Wasn't that lost in the ocean?"

"It was. But whenever Cobra has one of their hare-brained schemes that almost works, I always flag them for follow-up in case they decide to try again. The Baroness' love potion only requires a couple of ingredients to make. Unfortunately, swamp moss is readily available. But the Jackal's Bane root is much harder to come by. In fact it's not even due to bloom again until next year, so unless they saved it from their last go around Baroness shouldn't have access to it. However, a couple of weeks ago, I had received an alert that another rare plant was stolen from a botanical garden in Sweden. I read up on it, and there was a passing comment from a botanist that said it shared many similar properties with the Jackal's Bane. At the time, the name sounded familiar, but I didn't remember why until I started looking into the Duchesses' wedding.

"Thinking the Baroness is going to duplicate the love potion may be a stretch. I ran it by Airtight earlier to see what he thought about the possibility. He agreed with the botanist that the two plants do share a similar biology. But since he has no idea what exactly it is in the Jackal's bane that gives the love potion is power, he didn't know if it could be replaced with something similar. But regardless, as you pointed out, it may be worth it just to see if we can touch base with the Baroness."

"I don't think General Bradshaw is going to have a problem okaying this mission. It's not like we have other pressing matters this weekend."

"Then we need to work fast on this. With the wedding on Saturday, we'll need to have a team in position by Friday the latest. What's the chance I can present this at OC tomorrow?"

Flint frowned. "Not tomorrow. He's pretty strict about having the schedule set ahead of time. The quickest way to get this approved is to give me a report that I can present during New Business. I can then push for you to meet with him later on in the day."

Lady Jaye nodded. Even though this was exactly what Scarlett and Cover Girl were complaining about, and what frustrated her, she was willing to let it play out according to the General's rules. "Okay, I'll put together a report for you before I get off shift tonight."

"That sounds good. Do you want to call me when it's done? I'll come get it."

"No, I can drop it off at your room before I go to bed."

Flint smiled. "Okay, I'll leave my door unlocked." He reached his hand out to caress her cheek, but he stopped himself before he touched her. "Damn it." He looked around the room, glanced at the camera, and then shook his head. "I should go. But, like I said, my door's going to be unlocked."

She watched him leave, and then she willed herself to calm down. She tried to distract herself with writing her report, but all her mind kept focusing on was going to his bedroom. She could in theory, have a plausible excuse to spend a few minutes alone with him. But she knew that was going to be playing with fire. It was still so tempting. Their conversation tonight just hammered home how much she missed him. And she wanted more.

However, as the night wore on, she did calm down. By the time her duty shift ended, she felt like she was in complete control of her senses. The idea of sneaking into Flint's room was still tempting, but she was able to resist. She walked to his suite, paused for only a moment, and then put her report under his door. Sighing, she then walked back to her room.

* * *

The next morning, Flint walked to Officer's Call with Lady Jaye's folder under his arm. He was extra cranky that morning because of the way the previous night played out. He had tried to stay up to wait for her to get off duty shift. He had a feeling that she might have had conflicted emotions, and he had intended to meet her at his door to help convince her to come into his room. But he had been more tired than he had realized and shortly after returning to his room, he had fallen asleep.

When he had woken to his alarm earlier that morning, he realized that she hadn't taken him up on his offer. He knew she had made the practical decision, and in the long run he figured he would appreciate that at least she was being level-headed. But at the moment, he was horny so he was having a hard time convincing himself that it was all for the best.

He berated himself for feeling that way. Their rendezvous on the roof happened only a couple of nights prior so he shouldn't have been as frustrated as he was. He had gone nearly a week and a half without physical contact with her during the general's first days on base and had been, for the most part, fine. But he had been busy and had little contact with her during that time, so he had been able to keep himself in check. But the sex the other night reminded him what he had been missing. And now every time he met up with her all he could think about was how he couldn't have her. And that just made him want her more.

Officer's Call then did nothing to improve his mood. Beachhead started right off on the warpath, continuing his daily bitching about the status of the motor pool. Flint couldn't understand why the drill instructor spent so much time and energy on something so meaningless. Luckily his tirade was on the shorter side that morning, and the meeting was able to move along. Lady Jaye's report was the first order of New Business, and Flint quickly summarized her findings.

"Sounds like a no-brainer to me." General Bradshaw said once he finished. "Flint, you're in charge of outlining the game plan and personnel involved and I'll get the paperwork started on the equipment and vehicles you'll need."

"Yes, sir. Also, Lady Jaye requested a meeting with you to review the mission parameters."

General Bradshaw frowned. "Why? Does she have additional information that isn't in this report?"

"No, sir, I don't believe so. I just think she'd like the chance to meet with you herself."

"Flint, the Joes aren't a bunch of toddlers looking for gold stars from their preschool teachers. However, since she worked closely with you on the last mission with Mr. Airtes, make sure she's involved in your planning session. And then you both could brief me later today."

The meeting wrapped up a short time later and Flint went to find Lady Jaye. He went to her office first, but only Chuckles was there. Flint asked the intelligence agent if he had seen her and Chuckles replied that she had gone to her room to do her work.

Flint thanked him, walked back out into the hall and debated what to do next. No one would question his actions, as it was well established that Lady Jaye and Scarlett used their suite as an office. But still he hesitated. There were too many very good memories associated with her room, and he was afraid that if he went there, the guilt would be written all over his face.

What finally got him moving was the idea that his overthinking of the situation might be detrimental to the Joe team. He had an order to work with Lady Jaye on the upcoming mission, and he needed to complete it.

He arrived at their suite a few minutes later. After knocking, he entered her room and for the first time in recent memory, was actually happy to see that Scarlett was with Lady Jaye. Her presence would help keep up pretenses. "Jaye, we're a go."

"Great!" Lady Jaye said with a grin. "Shana and I were coming up with a plan of attack, just in case."

"I'm glad you jumped on it, because the general wants to meet with the two of us once we have figured out the logistics. Let me see what you came up with."

Lady Jaye handed him a couple of sheets of paper, while Scarlett stood. "I think you two can handle this, so I'm going to go check my inbox."

"No, please stay," Lady Jaye said. The two women then stared at each other and Flint knew their friendship well enough to know that they were conveying a wealth of information with a single glance. He still didn't know how they did it, but he guessed that Snake-Eyes had probably given them pointers in the art of silent conversations.

Scarlett nodded and they spent the next half hour hammering out the mission parameters. Flint was glad that Scarlett did stay, because she did provide some good insight and suggestions. Once they had exhausted the topics of conversation related to the mission and other professional matters, Scarlett turned to Lady Jaye. "Can I go now, or do you still need a chaperone?"

Lady Jaye sighed and turned to Flint. "If she goes, you have to go with her."

Flint nodded. He figured as much.

Scarlett looked from Flint to Lady Jaye. "If you want to use me as any kind of cover story, I think it might be time to stop avoiding my questions and come clean on what you two have going on."

Lady Jaye locked eyes with him. He knew she was looking for permission to speak freely, which he granted with a nod. While he knew it wasn't a good idea to let too many people in on their secret, he trusted Scarlett explicitly. Plus, Lady Jaye did have to live with the woman so he didn't want any lies to come between them. And Scarlett may be a good ally to have in the future.

Lady Jaye grabbed his hand, which was the first physical contact she initiated since he entered the room. "I know this is something that's probably going to bite us in the ass, but we're not going to throw away the last three years we've had together. So we may have been giving the impression that we're no longer together, but we still are."

Scarlett nodded and stood from the couch. "That's what I figured was happening." She turned towards Flint. "I'm just torn as to whether I should lecture you on how dangerous this could be for you or to thank you for not breaking her heart."

He squeezed Lady Jaye's hand. "Believe me, the feeling would have been mutual."

"We are aware of how dangerous this is, so we're being very careful. Which is why I didn't tell Duke the whole truth when he asked."

"You talked to Duke?" Flint asked in near unison with Scarlett.

"Yes, the night of your drinking party. Shana, if it makes you feel any better he is very upset over what happened. And I believe he truly thinks it was in your best interest."

"We could spend hours debating what's in anybody's best interest, but I think that is just going to upset all of us. And it's petty, but I'm glad he's miserable. So, what do you want me to do now? Run interference while you have a quickie in your bedroom?"

Flint thought that was a great idea, but Lady Jaye seemed to feel differently. "That won't be necessary. It's just nice being able to let our guard down for a little while."

"Okay. I'm going to go into my room for a few minutes, but then I do have to go check my inbox. I'll knock before I come back out."

Flint waited until her door closed before he leaned over to kiss Lady Jaye. She had set the boundary, which he was willing to abide by, but that didn't mean he wanted to totally waste the opportunity. "Are you sure you don't want to take her up on her offer?"

"I am. Wouldn't it bother you to have sex when you know someone is just outside the door fully aware of what you're doing?"

Flint assumed there must have been quite a few times where their fellow Joes must had known about their extracurricular activities. But she was right that it was different if you knew for a fact that some one was waiting on you to orgasm. "You're right, it wouldn't be fair to Scarlett. Once she hears how well I satisfy you, she'd spend the rest of her life looking for a man equally skilled, and I don't think he exists."

Lady Jaye grinned. "You truly are one of a kind."


	6. Chapter 6

A couple of hours later, Lady Jaye finally got her chance to have a sit down with the elusive General Bradshaw. They exchanged pleasantries, and then she got down to business. She laid out the plan the three had come up with earlier in the day. Once she was finished with the summary, the General nodded. "You did a good job. I think you have a solid plan of attack. My only issue is the personnel you've assigned to this. Flint, you're sitting this one out. With Falcon in charge of Intelligence, I want him to head up this mission."

Lady Jaye had to admit she was disappointed, but it did make sense. It would make her job a little bit harder, not only would she have to break Falcon in, but being partnered with Flint always made life easier for her. Their professional partnership was as strong as their personal one, and he always seemed to know instinctively what she needed. However, since this wasn't a critical mission, with life and death stakes, it would be a good one for Falcon to get his feet wet on.

"Secondly, Lady Jaye, while you should be in Greece with the others, I don't think you should be on the front lines. I think you will be more valuable to the intelligence gathering, if you were the one in the truck analyzing everything."

Lady Jaye wasn't feeling quite as generous about this change. "So you want Scarlett and I to switch places?"

"Actually, I am also benching Scarlett. Since this isn't a high stakes mission, there's no reason for the whole intelligence department to be in Greece."

"Okay, but I don't like Chuckles, assuming he's still going, to be in there alone."

"I don't have a problem with Chuckles out there. He needs some experience in the field, but I think his date for the evening should be Cover Girl."

Lady Jaye looked at Flint, who continued to remain silent. She knew she wasn't going to get any help from him. "Sir, I think that's a mistake. Yes, Cover Girl has gone undercover a time or two, but it's not really her strong suit."

"In this case, I don't think you need an over qualified undercover agent. I assume she's dressed up before to go to a wedding?"

"Of course."

"Then she's qualified for this. In fact, I have to imagine with her past career, she is well versed with mingling with the rich and famous."

Lady Jaye again looked at Flint, who had turned his attention to the notes he was making in the file. She exhaled sharply. "Fine. Any other changes?"

"I don't quite see the reason for Short-Fuze to accompany you, but I trust your judgment on that. If he was an asset the last time, than I don't have a problem with him going along. Now that we have the team settled, I want you to run through the plan with them. Flint, you can lead things while they're here, until you get Falcon up to speed on this."

The general then dismissed them. Once they were out in the hall, Lady Jaye turned to him. "Thanks, Flint, I didn't even get the license plate of the bus you threw me in front of."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it would have been nice if you stood up for me in there." _Or as Courtney would say, that you didn't roll over to play dead._

"What's the big deal? It's not the first time your mission plan got tweaked."

"Tweaked? He completely overhauled it!"

"No, he didn't. Your basic plan is the same, just with different people. Are you that upset that you don't get to play dress-up?"

Lady Jaye's temper flared. "Give me a little bit of credit, I'm not that shallow. I just remember a point when you used to have my back."

"I do. Who do you think got you a meeting with the General? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have even had a chance to speak with him."

Lady Jaye laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Flint was making the General sound like he was the Wizard of Oz. "In that case, I'm sorry I didn't understand my place in the hierarchy. I do appreciate the strings you pulled, to make little ol' me get a chance to visit with the Great and Powerful. Who am I to complain after that feat?"

"Stop it. Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm being ridiculous? Didn't you warn me the night of his arrival that I should watch my back with him?"

Flint sighed and shook his head. "Damn, is this what this is about? I shouldn't have said that to you. General Bradshaw isn't as bad as I made him out to be, and I'm sorry if I caused any paranoia on your end."

Lady Jaye wasn't buying it. "No, I'm glad you did. Maybe he changed your mind, but he hasn't mine. And that's fine that you want to be on his side. I can understand why. I'll just keep that in mind for the future. But in the meantime, we have to meet with our team."

* * *

On their last night before the mission, Lady Jaye was doing one final run down of their plan of attack with her team. Based on the looks of boredom, she knew she was overdoing it. However, due to her teammates' lack of undercover experience, she felt it was prudent to be over-prepared. But after she noticed that Falcon looked at his watch for the third time in ten minutes, she stopped her train of thought. "Falcon, I'm sorry, am I keeping you from something?"

"Actually, you are. Listen, I think we have this all down pat, so it's safe to call it a night. Until tomorrow," Falcon said and he raced out the door.

Lady Jaye turned to face Flint. She debated not airing her grievances in front of the other, but she knew she was only going to say what everyone else was thinking. "That's it. You have to talk to General Bradshaw about removing him."

Flint shook his head. "I'm not going to disrespect him like that. He'll be fine."

"Really? What exactly about Mr. I Have a Hot Date is giving you that impression?"

"I admit that wasn't the most professional display, but he is correct, you've gone over this plan more than enough times."

"I had to because of him! If you noticed, he barely paid attention to a word I said."

Flint sighed. "I did notice, and I agree he needs to work on that. I'll talk to Duke to see who's better suited to give him a few pointers on his professionalism. I know he's young and brash and full of himself, but he proved himself in the Himalayas. And he has you, all of you," Flint added as he waved his hand at the other three in the room, "to help him out."

Lady Jaye looked at her teammates. She had nothing against any of them, but here she was, ready to head out on an undercover mission with a former model, a mortar soldier and a very green criminal investigator. And they were supposed to not only successfully complete their mission, but keep their idiotic excuse of a Green Beret leader in check?

And what probably pissed her off the most about it, is that if she was successful, the idiot would get the credit for the mission. She never really needed to have accolades bestowed on her. At least not as much as Flint, who would always try to impress whatever civilians they had rescued from Cobra's clutches with a verbose recap of his heroics. But now, when she was fighting for any kind of professional recognition, having Falcon get the credit felt like another kick in the gut.

"That makes sense. Instead of us using our resources to keep tabs on the Baroness, we should be babysitting Falcon instead. All I know is that this would not be happening under Hawk's watch."

"Damn it, Lady Jaye. Why can't you understand that Hawk is no longer here?"

Instead of fuming silently, Lady Jaye decided to continue to vent her anger at the one person in the room she felt deserved it. "You know what, Flint. I think I'm going to have a talk with General Bradshaw, since you're too much of a fucking pansy to do it."

Chuckles eyes grew wide, while Cover Girl literally bit down on the grin that formed on her face. Flint whipped around to look at her. "Sergeant, may I remind you that I do outrank you, and comments like that can be considered subordination?"

"I am well aware, Flint, that you outrank me. You just need to give me a schedule of when you actually want to abide by those rules."

Flint glared at her, but amazingly remained calm. "Enough. It's obvious you have a few things you need to say to me, but we have work here to finish first. Once we're done, we'll talk."

Lady Jaye kept quiet as Flint ran through the last few loose ends. Once he was done, he looked at his watch. "Okay, it's time to call it. You'll all be fine tomorrow. Since I'm sure there are only slim pickings left in the commissary, who wants to go out and get a late dinner? I'll buy."

Cover Girl gathered her files as she rose from the table. "Thanks, Flint. As much as I like a free meal, I hate watching mom and dad fight. I'll grab something here."

Short-Fuze also stood up. "I too am going to pass. I already made plans with Zap and Flash. Chuckles do you want to join us?"

Chuckles nodded and followed him out the door. Flint turned to Lady Jaye. "So, do you want to get dinner? Or do you want to continue our fight here?"

"Off base is better. But, sir, are we allowed to eat together?" she asked with a hiss.

"Cut it out. I offered it up to everyone. It's not our fault that they all bailed on us."

Actually, based on Cover Girl's comment Lady Jaye could say pretty much definitively it was their fault. She begrudgingly agreed to go.

"What are you in the mood for?" Flint asked as they walked towards his car.

"I don't care. Anything is fine," she mumbled. Flint made a face that she knew meant he thought she was being a pain in the ass. She assumed he was just going to drive to Joe's diner, but he ended up heading to a chain restaurant about twenty minutes away from HQ. It was a smart call, because that meant there was a smaller chance of them running into someone they know.

The parking lot was packed, so Flint grabbed one of the last spots behind the restaurant. Luckily, there was only a short wait for a table as most of the patrons were packed into the bar playing a trivia game. To pass the time, they hung out at the edge of the bar to listen to the questions being asked. Lady Jaye only half paid attention as she was still sidetracked with thoughts of her upcoming mission. But after the second time that Flint nudged her as he blurted out the answer to the trivia question she made an effort to play along. Soon they were one-upping each other with their answers. One question sparked a pretty intense debate, and Lady Jaye surprised herself by laughing and teasing him, once she found out she was correct in her answer. It felt like old times.

Flint's name was called and they were led to a table in the corner of the restaurant. Once they placed their order, Flint leaned forward. "Alison, I want you to answer me honestly. I don't want you swayed by your personal feelings for the general, or Falcon, or even me. Do you really think Falcon is going to compromise this mission? Because if you believe you, or the others' lives are in danger with him in charge, I will tell General Bradshaw that he needs to be replaced."

Lady Jaye took a sip of her drink to give herself a moment to think. She could take the easy out and tell Flint that she did think Falcon was a threat to the mission. She knew he would keep his word, and if the general listened to him, Flint would probably take his place. That would make her life a lot easier. However, he asked for her honest opinion. And the truth was that while Falcon was incompetent, she didn't think he was a threat to the mission.

So while she should tell Flint that and admit that she overreacted during the mission brief, she couldn't quite do that either. Because she still wasn't Falcon's biggest fan. And the general had made a huge mistake putting him in charge of the intelligence department. As soon as she has that thought, she realized just how well Flint knew her. He understood that her tantrum was based on her personal issues, and not only professional grievances. And he trusted her enough to reach her own conclusions.

She sighed. "No, he's not putting us in any danger. But a large part of that is due to the fact that this mission isn't dangerous. If he was leading us into a firefight, I would definitely feel differently."

"I agree with that. And believe me, I wouldn't be, as you said, a pansy about this if I thought your life was in any way threatened."

Lady Jaye cringed. "I'm sorry about that."

Flint waved her off. "I'm pretty sure you've called me worse things before. And maybe you're right, that deep down I don't want to rock the boat, but I do want to give Falcon this chance. He needs the experience in the field, and this is a perfect mission for him to lead."

Lady Jaye shook his head. "I agree. I just wish I wasn't on it."

Flint smirked. "That's BS and you know it. If Scarlett was going, you'd be complaining to me how you're much better suited for these babysitting missions."

Despite herself, Lady Jaye smiled. "I don't complain that much, do I?"

"How do you define the word 'much'?" Flint leaned over the table to try and kiss her. It was an awkward position, so he stood up and joined her on her side of the booth. He then finished the kiss. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Stop fighting General Bradshaw on every decision he makes. There are only two ways that this plays out. Either he is here temporarily, and you would have wasted all that energy on things that didn't matter in the end. Or he is here permanently, and instead of accepting what you can't change, you continue to be miserable fighting him on everything he does."

"Dash, you know me. I can't just blindly accept things that I know aren't right."

"But that's also my point. How do you know they aren't right? You haven't even given General Bradshaw a chance. Yes, it's a different way of running things, and yes it does take some getting used to. But how about you let some of General Bradshaw's changes take effect, and see what the outcome is before you automatically take up arms against him?"

The food arrived, and Flint took his seat back on the other side of the booth. It gave Lady Jaye time to mull over his advice. She still thought he was being a pushover, but maybe he was correct that she too had an automatic negative response. "You're right. I have been too critical of him."

At first they ate in silence, until Flint started to tell her a story from a few days prior involving Footloose and a stunt that he tried to pull off. That opened the flood gates. One story led to another and soon they were laughing and chatting like the old days. Lady Jaye felt all of her earlier frustrations melt away.

Time passed quickly. They stayed well after they had finished their dinner, and to appease the waitress who kept shooting them dirty looks they ordered dessert. Once that was finished, Lady Jaye reluctantly looked at her watch. She was surprised at how late it had gotten. "We should go back, I do have an early flight to catch."

Flint's car was the only one left in the rear parking lot. They walked together to the passenger side, and for a moment Lady Jaye thought he was going to go the chivalrous route of opening her car door for her. Instead, he pushed her up against his car and kissed her deeply. The kiss quickly turned into foreplay. Despite being hidden in the shadows, Lady Jaye didn't want to have sex this publicly. "In the car," she said breathlessly as he passionately kissed at her neck.

He opened the door behind her and the two practically fell in. His car had virtually no back seat, but they were able to push the passenger seat back far enough to make a little bit of room. Throughout her sexual past, Lady Jaye had on occasion engaged in one form or another of car sex. She quickly remembered why she hadn't done it more often as the tight quarters made for an although satisfying, a rather uncomfortable session.

Once she was redressed, she climbed out of the car. Flint followed her out. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Be careful out there."

She again scoffed. "I'll be fine. I don't think I'm going to run into a whole lot of danger while I'm eavesdropping in the van that's parked across the street from the action."

* * *

Lady Jaye adjusted her headset and microphone as she settled in front of the TV screens. "Cover Girl, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear," Cover Girl answered. Lady Jaye watched as the video played out on the screen. Cover Girl took a sip of her champagne.

"Easy on the alcohol. If the Baroness does show up, I'm going to need you alert."

"Don't worry, mom, I have it under control."

Lady Jaye had to give Cover Girl credit. For someone that hadn't spent a lot of time undercover, she had quickly picked up the art of hiding her communications.

She also had to admit that she was enjoying being on the other side of the mic that night. She had a chance to see and hear what was going on in that room without having to be all dressed up and putting on a dog and pony show. Instead of worrying about staying in character, she could focus all of her attention on the other action.

The only negative of the moment was that she had either picked up mild food poisoning or a stomach bug on the flight over. She hadn't felt right the whole day, but at least it wasn't enough to distract her totally from the mission.

"Short-Fuze, are you putting faces to the names on our list?"

"Already done," he answered. "I was just finishing up their physical descriptions so you can keep track of the ones we've flagged."

"Good job."

She was going to ask Falcon if he wanted to skim through the information, but as she turned to ask him she saw he was already reading through it. She had to give the man credit, so far he had been very professional on the mission.

"She's here," Cover Girl whispered.

Lady Jaye turned back to her screen, as Falcon joined her at her side. Lady Jaye pointed to a woman and Falcon nodded. "Do you think Destro is with her?"

"If he was, I think we would have noticed the mask."

"He never takes it off? Do we even know what he looks like under it?"

It was a fair question. "From everything we've seen of him, he doesn't remove it. And we do have some early photos from his life pre-Destro that we have aged to get an idea of his current look, but no we don't have a good recent photo of him."

The screen panned away from the Baroness. "Whoa, Cover Girl where are you going?" Falcon asked.

Cover Girl let out a fake laugh and gave a quick glance at one of the men that was talking to her intently before turning her attention back to her walk across the room.

"Great. It looks like she caught someone's attention. She's probably being dragged over to meet his friends," Lady Jaye said with a frown.

"That's Mathias Nesel, the billionaire German playboy," Short-Fuze pointed out.

"How do you know all these people?" Falcon asked.

Short-Fuze shrugged. "I have a lot of time to read. And I have a fascination with the rich and famous."

Lady Jaye quieted the two men. "Chuckles, we need a visual again on the Baroness. And if it's not too much trouble, make sure Cover Girl is okay."

Chuckles' camera angle turned towards the room entrance, where the Baroness was still chatting with a group of men. Short-Fuze rattled off a list of names and their occupations, but Lady Jaye ignored him. She watched as the Baroness reached into her purse and subtly sprayed herself with a bottle of perfume.

"Chuckles and Cover Girl, the Baroness may have just used her secret weapon. Keep an eye on her, and Chuckles, be careful."

Lady Jaye continued to watch the scene play out. The Baroness got especially close to one of the men, who Short-Fuze identified as a Greek tycoon. But if she was using the love potion, it didn't seem like it was having any effect. The man kissed her wrist, and then walked away.

The Baroness frowned. She reached into her purse, pulled out the vial and once again sprayed herself. She turned her attention to a second man, who again seemed immune to any sort of spell. Lady Jaye smiled. "Guys, I think she's trying to use the potion, but it's a dud. Chuckles, you are clear to move in."

Lady Jaye sat back with a sense of relief. Now that she knew that they weren't going to have to crash the party to save the men from themselves, she could relax and watch the rest of the night play out. It was uneventful. Chuckles did get close enough to chat with the Baroness for a few moments, but she didn't seem to provide any earth shattering intelligence. The highlight of the night came at the end, when the Baroness tossed her perfume into one of the trash cans as she left the building.

Since they didn't have the jurisdiction to chase the Baroness through the streets of Greece, Lady Jaye thought they should at least go home with a souvenir. "One of you needs to grab that vial."

"Not me," Cover Girl said with a subtle shake of her head. "I'm not sticking my hand in the trash."

Chuckles shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the can in question. He subtly reached in, grabbed the perfume and stuck it into his pocket before anyone noticed. Lady Jaye nodded her head. He really was good. She took off her headset and faced Falcon. "So boss. Anything else? Or are you ready to call it a night?"

"It's a wrap," Falcon said. "Tell the kids they did good but it's time to come home."


	7. Chapter 7

Lady Jaye climbed down from the plane. She saluted General Bradshaw who was deep in conversation with Falcon. He returned the salute, but didn't break from his talk. Lady Jaye shook her head, and decided she didn't want to sit and wait her turn. Instead she glanced behind the general and saw that Flint was hanging out doing his best to look inconspicuous. She headed towards him.

"Lady Jaye, good to see you and your team back in one piece," Flint said as she approached. "I hear it was a successful mission."

"It was, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that once again we prevented a Cobra plot for world domination."

"Maybe but, any mission you come back from is a successful one in my book," Flint said quietly.

It wasn't the first time he had said that or something similar to her, and each previous time had been her cue to hug and kiss him to reassure him that she was indeed back safe. But obviously, she couldn't do that now. So she settled on a simple "Thanks."

She had only been back on base about two minutes, but even in that short amount of time, it hammered home everything that she hated about her life and work at the present time. But even with all the time spent on the return trip mulling over her current situation, she didn't really see a plausible way of making it better. So she did what had been her fallback of the last two and a half weeks. She pushed her personal thoughts aside, and focused on her professional. "Did you hear that this time we got the Baroness's perfume?" she asked as she pulled the small bottle from her pocket.

Flint took it from her and looked it over. "I did. But I also heard it didn't work."

"It didn't seem to. I still brought it back to have it tested. Maybe it's just a bottle of cheap perfume, and not another love potion."

"If you're going to be the guinea pig, let me have a whiff of it on you. I'd love to have an excuse to act out my desires."

Lady Jaye was wondering whether the general would find the excuse of being a victim of the love potion plausible when she heard him call Flint's name. They turned and saw that the general was approaching them, so she quickly switched topics. "Also, I have a lot of screen shot prints of the people in attendance. I want to see if you can look them over and see who you remember from Airtes' yacht." Lady Jaye actually had all that information already, but it seemed like a good reason to be in Flint's office later.

"Good," General Bradshaw said as he joined their side. "I'm glad you're starting your debrief. But don't forget to include the others as well."

Flint nodded and then turned towards Lady Jaye. "How about you and I go over the photos and some of the other information from our previous mission first, and then we'll meet with them in my office later?" Flint looked at this watch. "We'll say 1600. That will give us just over an hour."

General Bradshaw nodded. "That sounds good. I'll let them know. Flint, I want you to then prepare a report that you can present tomorrow morning."

"Sir, I've written up the majority of it already, so I was wondering if I could present it?" Lady Jaye asked.

"I don't think that will be necessary."

"But sir," Lady Jaye said as she struggled to keep herself in check. "Since I was there, I can answer any questions that might come up."

"If your report is thorough enough, there won't be any questions."

Before she could argue any further, he walked away. She stood there fuming while she watched him go.

"Jaye, come on. Beachhead is going to be busy with the motor pool for the rest of the afternoon so we might actually have a few minutes alone before the others show up."

The implication of his statement was enough to cut through her anger at the General. She nodded and the two walked back to his office. Once the door was closed behind him he pulled her close and kissed her. She was lost in the sensations for a moment, but then her brain caught up and she abruptly pulled away.

"Have you lost your mind?" she asked as she looked at the camera in the corner of the room. She did a doubletake when she noticed it was gone.

"Did I forget to mention the camera went on the fritz this weekend? Breaker said it will be at least a week before he can get it looked at."

He then reached behind him to lock the door, but she stopped him. "Don't. You might as well hang a sock from the door handle and then invite Breaker and his camera crew over to film what's going on."

"Okay, but I don't want General Bradshaw to just pop in here while we're hot and heavy."

"And I don't want him to come by and ask why we're alone behind a locked door."

Flint sighed. "So what do we do? Anyone can walk in."

"We have as much fun as we can while keeping our clothes on. At least that way we look respectable if someone barges in."

Flint didn't look happy about it, but he still leaned in for another kiss. He kept his back against the door as a buffer. Their kiss intensified, and despite the limitations she had placed on the two of them, she did intend to try and have a little bit of fun. So channeling love struck teenagers hiding from their parents, they pawed and groped at each other. But each time they heard footsteps on the other side of the door, they pulled away in anticipation of an interruption. After the third such time, Flint put a stop to their actions. "Enough. This is more frustrating than anything."

"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled away.

"No it's not your fault. At least you're trying to be smart about this."

A knock on the door interrupted her response. They looked at each other and smiled. Lady Jaye headed towards one of the chairs by Flint's desk as he answered the door.

Falcon stormed in. "Good, you're both here. I know we were supposed to meet in a little while, but I wondered if we could do the turnover a little early. I have someone I need to meet. I already cleared it with the general."

Lady Jaye let out a laugh. It figured. Not only was Falcon cock-blocking them, but he was doing so because he had his own big plans for the afternoon. He was lucky that she still wasn't feeling so hot, and okay with foregoing any kind of extra-curricular activities. But as she smirked at Flint, and saw the scowl on his face, she figured he wasn't going to be as generous.

But he surprised her. "Fine. Come in, let's get this over with."

Falcon grinned and quickly took the empty seat next to Lady Jaye. "I'm sure Lady Jaye can fill in the details, but let me summarize," Falcon quickly said once Flint took his seat. "We did encounter the Baroness, who appeared to be the only Cobra member at the event. We kept a close watch on her. She made contact with several men and women in attendance, and appeared to try and use a bottle of some sort of fragrance. Chuckles commandeered the fragrance in question for further testing, but from what we saw it had no effect on any of the men in her presence that evening."

Falcon then stood. "I have to give high marks to each and every one of my team members. They were nothing short of professional, and we completed the mission successfully. If you have any other questions, please feel free to call my cell phone." He then left Flint's office before anyone else could speak.

Flint stewed for a few moments. "It's not nice to say since he is Duke's brother…"

"Half-brother," Lady Jaye corrected.

"Whatever. But I'm really starting to hate that guy."

Lady Jaye laughed. "That's what I said a few days ago. But to complete this role reversal, I have to tell you he was very much the professional on the mission. I think it might just be the lure of women and warm beds that derail him here at HQ."

"I can't say I don't understand that desire," Flint said with a smile at her.

Lady Jaye smiled in return. "When this is over, do you want to meet up for dinner? I had a lot of fun the other night."

"I did too. And that shouldn't be a problem." There was another knock on the door. Flint walked over to open it. "Call me once you pick a place. I'll meet you there."

Cover Girl greeted them both. "I just have one question. This isn't going to as long and awkward as the pre-mission brief?"

"No, and I'm sorry about that."

"Me too," Lady Jaye added. She pointed to the empty seat next to her. "This time we're going to behave."

"Okay, Cover Girl, while we're waiting on Chuckles and Short Fuse, why don't you give us a run down on what you saw from your perspective?" Flint asked.

Lady Jaye was interested to hear the answer. She thought that Cover Girl did very well at the reception, and she was curious to see what she might have picked up on. Not that they needed another female undercover agent, as she and Scarlett could handle it, but it would be good to know in case the need arose in the future.

"I have to be honest, I don't know how much intel I picked up on the Baroness as I was basically stuck in the company of others. But I have learned a few German phrases, and I got a couple of great leads if I ever decide to buy a classic Mercedes."

Lady Jaye was disappointed in the answer, until she questioned Cover Girl about certain aspects of the mission. It turned out the model did notice more things than she had originally thought. Chuckles and Short Fuse joined them, and they had a very thorough post mission brief. It wasn't really necessary to go into as much depth as they were, but since the three hadn't spent a whole lot of time in the field, in was a good learning experience for them.

General Bradshaw then joined them at the end. Flint gave him a quick recap. If the general was disappointed in the lack of results, he didn't show it. "You're going to get the perfume tested?"

"I'm bringing it to Airtight as soon as we're done here," Lady Jaye replied.

"Good. I think that covers everything. You're all dismissed. Take the rest of the day off, you deserve it."

Lady Jaye looked at her watch. It was dinner time, so there wasn't much of the day left. But she'd take what she could get. At least her dinner date with Flint was still a go. Or at least she thought it was until General Bradshaw spoke again.

"Flint, I have a matter I would like to discuss with you. Do you have any plans for this evening?"

"No, I'm free," Flint replied.

Lady Jaye stiffened as his response. Luckily, General Bradshaw had his back to her so she turned and glared at Flint, who ignored her.

"Great. Let's grab dinner and we'll talk. I hear there's a new Japanese place in town that's supposed to be very good."

"That sounds perfect. Do you want to meet up in the garage in about a half hour? I'll drive."

His answer was like a double punch in the gut. She took her time gathering her things to give General Bradshaw time to leave Flint's office. As he did, Lady Jaye turned to Flint. "You have to let me know how it is. I love Japanese food, but unfortunately my boyfriend hates it."

Flint grimaced he walked over to his open door and looked down the hallway. He waited a few minutes and then turned back to her. "I'm sorry. What was I supposed to say?"

"Oh I don't know. How about – 'Sorry, I have plans?' If you wanted to be specific you could have said you were meeting an old college friend. Or you and the guys already agreed to watch the game together. Or there's the tried and true 'I'm taking my girlfriend out to dinner.' But that's right, we can't use that one because it's the truth."

"Al, I'm sorry. But you heard him that he wants to talk to me about something. I can't just blow him off. But, once we're done, I'll call you. We can meet up afterwards."

Lady Jaye shook her head. "Don't do me any favors. When I was talking about having fun the other night, I meant our conversation in the restaurant and not what happened in the car. Don't call me expecting me once again to drop what I'm doing so you could have a quickie in a really inconvenient place. Enjoy your dinner," she added as she stormed out of his office.

* * *

The ringing phone startled her. The book she had been reading was on her chest, and she realized she had fallen asleep. She wondered who was calling her so late, but then saw it was only 8:30. She finally grabbed the phone and muttered a few curses when she saw Flint's number. He really had a lot of nerve.

He apparently read her mind. "I promise this isn't a booty call."

The nap must have restored her sense of humor. She let out a chuckle. "I'm glad you listen to some things I say."

"I listen to everything you say. I just may not act on all of it. So what are you doing?" After she replied that she had been sleeping he continued. "Already? It's kind of early."

"Well, it's really late in Greece which is the time zone my body must still be in."

"Do you want me to let you go?"

"No. I'm already awake. What did the general want to talk about?"

"A promotion. He's putting my name in for the WO-3 board."

As proof of the horrible person Lady Jaye had become, her first instinct on hearing the news was a sharp pang of jealousy. But then she hated herself for feeling that way, so she tried to feign excitement. "Oh, Dash, that's really great news. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. General Bradshaw told me not to get my hopes up too much, as it will be my first look, and there's a very small percentage that gets picked up on their initial go around. But he said that due to my record with the Joes, I have a really good shot at it."

"I agree with that. If anyone deserves it, it's you."

Flint continued to talk about the rest of the dinner with the general, but Lady Jaye tuned him out. Her mind started to contemplate the implications of Flint's potential promotion. A rise in the ranks usually coincided with a transfer. Most of the Joes had avoided that because of the Cobra threat, and the need to keep the elite team together. But now, as things had quieted down, she was sure that if he did get promoted, they were going to look to move Flint to an area where his talents would be needed more.

She knew she was jumping the gun, so she forced herself to calm down and not worry about it until it became an issue. But she couldn't help but wonder if Flint too considered the transfer possibility, and if he did, if he even cared that he might have to leave her.

* * *

The next morning, Lady Jaye paid a visit to Airtight to see if he had the results of the tests run on the Baroness's perfume. She hoped that he would provide conclusive evidence that the Baroness was up to her old tricks, which would give Lady Jaye the excuse to interrupt officer's call.

"Tell me you have good news," Lady Jaye said as she entered the lab.

Airtight picked up the bottle. "Do you consider it good news if I tell you that this is nothing more than a harmless vial of perfume that can be found in many of the more expensive perfume galleries of Europe?"

With a sigh, Lady Jaye answered, "No."

"Then I don't have good news for you," Airtight answered with a smile.

Lady Jaye walked over and examined the paperwork Airtight handed to her. The numbers and scientific names meant little to her. "Are you sure?"

Airtight nodded. "I ran the test three times. The last time I even told it to look for Jackyl's Bane and there wasn't even a trace of it in the make-up."

"I don't understand. I watched the Baroness use the perfume, she acted like she expected something to happen, and was then disappointed when it didn't."

"I can't explain her actions. Maybe she thought it was her Eau De Cobra, but someone double-crossed her."

"That's the current theory I'm working on, but with a plain old bottle of perfume, that's nothing more than a hunch." Lady Jaye sighed again. "Anyway, thanks for running the test."

"Anytime," Airtight answered and returned to his work.

Now that her plans for crashing officer's call was thwarted, she decided to go for a second run of the morning. Her run was more of a glorified jog, as she didn't have the energy to put in anything more strenuous. She was still feeling a little under the weather, and she wished the stomach bug that she had picked up in Greece would work its way through her system. She remembered suffering from a mild case of norovirus a few years back, after a cruise she had taken with some friends. She remembered thinking she was lucky that she hadn't been knocked flat by the virus like a couple of her friends had, but instead was happy that she only had a little bit of an upset stomach. However, as her friends had returned back to normal after a couple of days, she suffered for a few weeks. Apparently she was prone to picking up mild, but long lasting versions of gastro illnesses. It would be something to add to her list of current annoyances.

She found herself deep into the back "yard" of the base. It was another area that was usually quiet and free of other Joes. A chain link fence marked the outer perimeter of the base and every few hundred feet there were either a bench or a picnic table. At one of the picnic table areas, a few enterprising Joes had turned it into a fairly well maintained garden spot. She noticed that the bushes that had been planted had grown high enough, that while sitting at the picnic table, they blocked most of her view of HQ. Which meant that she was also mostly hidden from view. She wished she had the foresight to bring along some of her paperwork or a book to read. She figured that as the day went on, it probably got pretty hot in that area, but at the moment the temperature was perfect.

After a few moments she heard footsteps approach. She sighed as she didn't want to be disturbed. But she was happy to see who it was once Flint walked around the bushes. "How did it go?" she asked.

He didn't answer her. Instead he bridged the gap between them. While kissing her, he began to undo her pants. It took her brain a few seconds to realize what was happening, but once it did she was not only on board, but she too began to undo his pants in order to reach the goal as soon as possible.

Like the previous time, it was intense, but before she could get fully into the sensations, Flint shuddered and it was over. A fact he apologized for as he redressed. "I'm sorry. I was so worked up. This was all I've been thinking about since yesterday afternoon."

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked.

"I didn't. After Officer's Call ended, I went on a search of the whole base for you. I just wanted to tell you that General Bradshaw was happy with your report. But when I didn't find you in your normal hangouts, I started to wonder if you were hiding out somewhere. The more I thought about you being someplace alone, the more excited I got and I decided if I did find you in a private place I was going to take advantage of it. I guess I got lucky."

"You definitely got lucky," Lady Jaye said with a smile she didn't totally feel.

Flint was oblivious to her apathy. He kissed her. "I hate to run out on you, but I do have to get back. And like, I said, General Bradshaw said you put together a very good and thorough report."

"I'm sure you did a great job presenting it on my behalf," she mumbled as he left. She watched him go, and realized she felt worse than before his arrival. While she was happy that Flint at least left satiated, she couldn't say the same about herself. And she didn't just mean sexually.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could continue trying to keep up a half assed relationship while working half assed at her job. That was where she and Flint differed. At least Flint's job description and duties hadn't changed so he could still find satisfaction in his work. And she guessed that as long as she threw him a sex bone every now and then, he could be very happy with his life. Still fuming about the unfairness her life has become, she returned to HQ.


	8. Chapter 8

Flint walked the quiet hallways of Headquarters. It was his turn in the rotation to perform the middle of the night walkthrough. In the past he would have been concerned to find the base as quiet and deserted as it was. But now it was a sign of the new normal, and the changes that General Bradshaw had brought to the team.

He looked into the rec room. Footloose was asleep on the couch, but Lowlight appeared to still be awake and watching an old movie. Flint remembered one particularly memorable walkthrough the early morning after a few of the guys had thrown a raucous party to celebrate a round of successful reenlistments. By the time he made his walkthrough the party had wound down, but the remnants of it had shown throughout the base. He had taken most of it in stride. But then he had entered the rec room and had literally gasped when he saw that the entertainment area had been one step below trashed. And several Joes were passed out on the various pieces of furniture.

While he had grumbled to himself about the punishment he was going to deal out the following morning, he noticed a pair of boots lying on the floor, sticking out from behind the pool table. He assumed that someone had left their boots behind, which had just aggravated him further. As he bent down to pick them up, he quickly realized that the boots had not been left behind, but instead were still on the feet of Bazooka. And that was all that the man was wearing.

Luckily someone had looked out somewhat for Bazooka's dignity and strategically placed his helmet, so Flint had been spared from seeing the mission specialist in all of his glory. The only thing that stopped Flint from doling out his punishment right then and there, and shouting at all to wake up was the idea that Bazooka may be startled enough to dislodge the helmet. So he had walked out of the rec room, and closed the door behind him. Once he finished his walkthrough, he went back to his room, set his alarm for 0500, and met Beachhead on his way out to lead that morning's PT. Flint informed him that there was a group of Joes currently asleep in the rec room that needed an extra dose of exercise.

Beachhead stormed out, and Flint, satisfied that the proper punishment was going to be doled out, went back to bed. He didn't see the results of his handiwork on the PT field that morning, but he did hear the stories later about how Beachhead made Bazooka complete that morning's workout wearing only his boots.

It may have been a comical memory, but it was also an example proving General Bradshaw's point on the need for a more disciplined Joe team. Which was why, despite the hit he took personally, and the fact that Lady Jaye considered him a sell-out, Flint went along with the general's orders.

His next stop was the barracks. It was late, so most of the rooms there were quiet, but a couple of them showed some signs of life. One room in particular was somewhat loud. It sounded like a handful of Joes were inside playing a video game. Flint debated knocking on the door to tell them to quiet down, but he didn't want to eliminate all of the fun happening on the base. He figured if their neighbors had an issue with the noise level they would make their opinions heard, so Flint left them alone.

He then went to the women's living quarters. In the past, Lady Jaye's room was usually where his late night tour would end. As he walked down the hall, he stared longingly at her door. He came up with a couple of potential excuses to give him a reason to knock on her door. He told himself that he just wanted to get the chance to spend a couple of minutes with her.

But he forced himself to keep walking. Yes, he could make very sound and logical arguments as to why General Bradshaw's rules were needed, and why he would help enforce them. But that still didn't mean he wasn't feeling miserable about it. Also, he had a pretty good feeling that even if he did throw caution to the wind and knock on her door, she would probably only slam it in his face. Lady Jaye had always been known to have a short fuse when it came to her temper, but it seemed like lately she had been especially quick to anger. Flint was sure he was probably the main cause.

As a perfect example, he thought back to their encounter earlier that morning, and he was embarrassed by his behavior. Not only had it been completely unprofessional, but it had been uncalled for. He was a Warrant Officer on an elite military team, not a horny teenager. Yes, he had missed her and had wanted her desperately, but it was no excuse for letting his lustful feelings rule his actions. He had convinced himself that having mad passionate sex would show Lady Jaye how in love with her he was. But when he walked away, he hadn't missed the hurt look on her face. After he left, he had made a promise to himself that it would never happen again. He had tried the rest of the day to find her and apologize, but one thing led to another and he never got the chance. And while he still wanted to tell her how sorry he was, now was not the time for it.

Instead, he put it on the ever growing mental list he kept of things he needed to make up to her. With a sigh and one last look at her door, he turned around left.

* * *

Lady Jaye looked up from her reading at the sound of a knock on her door. She rose from the couch, put the files on the coffee table and went to answer the door. She startled at the sight of General Bradshaw standing in her doorway. She wasn't quite sure who she had been expecting, but he was definitely on the bottom of the list.

"Come in," Lady Jaye said as she waved to her living room. She took a quick look around to make sure it was presentable.

"I went to your office but Chuckles said you actually work out of your suite?"

"Yes, sir. Our office is pretty crowded, so Scarlett and I decided to utilize the extra space we have here."

General Bradshaw nodded. "Makes sense. But you shouldn't have to sacrifice your living area because of a shortage of office space. Restructuring the layout of the base is on my list of improvements I want to make."

Lady Jaye smiled politely, but kept quiet. So far she hadn't been a fan of any of the "improvements" the general had made. But she figured he hadn't come by to discuss remodeling, so she hoped that he would get to the point.

"But in the meantime, I do have an adjustment that will cut down on your workload."

Warning bells went off in Lady Jaye's head. "Sir?" she asked.

"I don't want you to think that this is in any way a slight against your abilities. I actually find it amazing that you had been able to work both in the intelligence and personnel departments, all while doing field work. How did you find the time to do it all?"

"I admit, there were points, especially when I spent a lot of time on missions that some of the paperwork slipped through the cracks. But when I did have the downtime, I did my best to catch up."

"Like I said, you've done a remarkable job. But I think your talents are being wasted when you get bogged down in the personnel affairs. I'm not even sure why someone on your level was even tasked with the job, when there are a number of Greenshirts that could easily tackle the assignment. So starting today, I'm relieving you of those duties. I'm not exactly sure who will be taking over for you, but once I do decide, I hope you can spend a few days getting them up to speed."

Lady Jaye was surprised by the announcement. So much so, that she wasn't even sure how she felt about his announcement. Luckily, she had her training to fall back on. "Sir, absolutely. Whatever help they need, I would be happy to give it."

"I'm glad to hear that. I won't keep you, as it looks like you are very busy."

Lady Jaye walked the general to the door, and once it closed behind him, she muttered a series of obscenities. She'd like to take General Bradshaw's change at face value. Maybe he truly did feel like she was wasting her talents on busy work, and she could now focus on the more important intelligence duties. But she couldn't help but think of Flint's initial warning that the general was a borderline male chauvinist. So she wondered if maybe he was just taking away her duties one step at a time.

She also couldn't help but compare herself to Flint. The general spends a few days with Flint and he gets put in front of the promotion board. But the general spends the same amount of time barely getting to know her, and suddenly he decides she's overworked and he needs to lighten her workload.

She let out a growl as she just became that much more frustrated over the whole situation. She looked at her stack of files that had held her attention before the general's visit, but she had no desire to return to her work. Instead she decided to seek out her go-to sounding board. After his behavior the previous day, she had a bone to pick with him, but all in all he was still her top choice to vent her frustrations.

But it took a while to find him. One by one she looked in all of his usual hangouts, with no luck. She was going to give up with the assumption that he was off base, when she tried one last place. She finally found him in the garage waxing his car. She stayed quiet for a moment so she could watch him without him cluing into the fact that she was standing there.

She smiled as she spent the few moments watching him work. Flint was an incredibly built and handsome man, which was what attracted her to him in the first place. But then she got to know him and fell in love with his personality as well as his looks. Even now, despite all of the issues of the last few weeks she was still madly in love with him. And she knew deep down that her feelings were reciprocated. She hoped he was just having a hard time navigating the rules of the forced separation.

But then there was the part of her that wondered if she was just being naive. Which she guessed was the real reason why she had been so easily annoyed by his behavior. Her feelings for him still ran so deep, that she was afraid in the end she was going to end up hurt. It was her way of protecting herself. She flashed back to what Flint had said the night General Bradshaw joined the team. He had promised her that his feelings for her would never falter. At the time she believed him, but now she couldn't help but wonder if he was having second thoughts. She wouldn't blame him if he was. After all getting a glimpse of the even bigger and better things he could accomplish in his career must be awfully tempting. Unfortunately though, it was a future that didn't include her.

That point was proven in the different ways that they interacted with General Bradshaw. It was clear that Flint was thrilled with the attention the new general had shown him, and he was trying hard to be a model G.I. Joe. Lady Jaye could understand that motivation. She had that same drive when the general first came on to base. But unfortunately he made it clear that he was only interested in developing a rapport with a small group of Joes. And she hadn't made the cut. But Flint had. So it was an immature and unprofessional thought but the bottom line was she was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that she was being pushed to the sideline by both her boyfriend and her boss.

It also didn't help that she felt like the only reason for his interactions with her lately were driven by a sense of lust, and not love. Again, she understood the feeling. She watched his back muscles ripple under his t-shirt as he waxed the hood of his car, and she felt the familiar stirrings deep inside of her. But despite her desire to walk over to him, wrap her arms around him and kiss him deeply, she was able to keep herself in check. Which was an act of restraint he hadn't demonstrated yet.

Flint finished the waxing, took a step back to admire the job he done, and then he turned around. He startled for a second and then grinned. "How long have you been standing there?"

"A few minutes."

His grin turned larger. "Admiring the view?"

"I was. The wax you're using really brings out the shine in Betsy."

"Since you're such a fan, I can perform the same service on your car."

Lady Jaye at first was going to refuse the offer but then she reconsidered. Her car could use some TLC, and it was an excellent excuse to spend some more time with Flint. "Mr. Faireborn, I'm going to take you up on that."

"Just lead the way," he replied with an exaggerated bow and then grabbed the cleaning supplies.

She did. Instead of just sitting back to watch him, she decided she was going to help. So she picked up the sponge and began to soap up the hood of her car. She noticed that this time he was the one watching her.

"You might want to take off your uniform shirt. I'd hate to see you get it all wet and soapy."

She briefly thought about granting his request. She did have her standard tank top on underneath, so she wouldn't be breaking any public decency laws. But then she thought better of it. Not only would General Bradshaw find the whole situation extremely inappropriate, but she didn't want to chance a repeat of their dalliance of the previous morning. "I don't think that's a very good idea."

Based on the way Flint was looking at her she figured he too was reliving the event of the previous morning. However, this time she made a promise to herself to not give in to the temptation. She decided that if he made a move, she was going to put him in his place.

But he surprised her. "Alison, I want to apologize for yesterday."

She stopped washing the car. "For what?" she asked, playing dumb.

"For ambushing you in the garden out back. I shouldn't have done that."

"Dash, thank you for the apology. It's not necessary, but I appreciate it. I do admit I was a bit taken back by the abruptness of the act, but believe me, if I didn't want it I would have stopped you. That said, I don't think we should make a habit of it."

"I agree," Flint said and then the matter was dropped. "You missed a few spots," he said. He took the sponge from her hands and redid the hood.

Lady Jaye took a step back and watched in silence for a few moments until she told him the real reason for hunting him down. "General Bradshaw came to see me earlier."

"Oh yeah?" Flint said as he stopped to look at her. "What did he want?"

"Apparently he's trying to make my life easier. He assigned my personnel duties to a Greenshirt."

Flint smiled. "Well, that's good news."

Lady Jaye couldn't help but laugh even though she found his response anything but funny. "Why am I not shocked? Please explain to me how the general eliminating some of my usefulness to the Joe team is good news, as I'm afraid I'm not quite as optimistic. In fact I'm pretty aggravated since I'm fairly certain this is the beginning of General Bradshaw's plan to eliminate my whole job position."

"Wow. That's quite the leap. Al, I don't get it. You've always complained about being stuck doing what you've called 'bullshit' paperwork. So now that General Bradshaw has relieved you of that task, you're still pissed off at him. He really can do no right in your eyes."

"Yeah, and he can do no wrong in yours. You've been his cheerleader since he got here."

"Why does every discussion about the general have to degrade into a fight between us? I'm just trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, and not automatically assume that every decision he makes is because he's out to get me."

"That's easy for you to say. I don't think he's done one thing yet that has directly negatively affected you."

Flint stared at her for a moment. "Really? I'd say that the fact that I've been sleeping in an empty bed for nearly three weeks has been a hell of a negative consequence."

"Yeah, you and me both. But at least you don't have to spend your days waiting for the next bombshell announcement that's going to severely decrease your job satisfaction yet again."

"It may seem like I've gotten off easy, but I really haven't. I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation. And that's all I've been trying to tell you to do."

"I wish I could. But I can't let go of the fact that I've been relegated to second class citizen where my opinion doesn't count. That's what pisses me off this go around. I don't care if I have to tend to the personnel files or not. I'd just like General Bradshaw to consult me before he changes my job description."

Flint sighed. He walked over to her side of the car. "Alison, I need you to listen to me even though you're not going to like what I have to say."

Lady Jaye exhaled sharply and did as he suggested. She wondered what new item was going to piss her off. "Go ahead."

"You're an E-5 Sergeant in the US Army. General Bradshaw doesn't have to consult you for anything. He could if he wants, like Hawk did, but it's clear he knows how he wants to run things around here. And that includes not polling the general population here before he makes a decision. I think Hawk's leadership made you forget that the Army is not a democracy."

Lady Jaye gaped at Flint. She was shocked that she just heard the speech that came out of his mouth. Despite how much she wanted to convince herself that she had been misreading his actions up to that point, she wondered if her fears were coming true. She suddenly had a vision of their future. They were going to end up just like Duke and Scarlett. However, instead of making it a clean break like Duke did, Flint was going to let it deteriorate a little at a time. But she was going to be damned if he was going to destroy her piece by piece.

"Thank you, Chief, for pointing that out to me. Since you too are on the leadership staff, I assume that rule also applies to you and me. I'm starting to understand why the military has the fraternization rules in place. Because obviously a lowly sergeant like myself is not worthy of a hot shot warrant officer like you."

She started to walk away but he grabbed her arm. "Alison, stop. You know that's not what I meant."

She quickly pulled out of his grasp. "I beg to differ. And you better watch the physical contact in a public place like this. You wouldn't want the general to catch you in a compromising position with me. That would put quite the kink in your upward mobility plans. So if you want, we can go in the shadows for an unsatisfying quickie, since that's what our relationship has devolved into."

Flint dropped his arm. "I guess I deserved the quickie comment. But is that really what this is all about? Or are you jealous that I may get promoted?"

Lady Jaye scoffed. "You, of all people, should not bring up the topic of jealousy in an argument. But to answer your question, maybe I am. And not only because it's one more way that the general has shown his favoritism. The two questions currently keeping me up at night is whether you will still be willing to risk what we have once you're even higher up in the ranks. And if so, what would happen if a transfer order came along with the promotion?"

"First of all, my promotion is not going to change my love for you. And the likelihood of a promotion and a transfer is so small, that I didn't give it a lot of serious consideration. Can't we worry about that if and when it happens?"

She knew he had a point that it was silly to get worked up over something that might not happen. However, the fact that she had a very unhappy present, made it easy to worry about an even worse future. "You may be right. And you keep telling me that your feelings haven't changed, but I can't help being concerned over what's coming down the road based on what I'm seeing from you right now. So I have a question for you Flint. The way you've been backing General Bradshaw, and the changes he made, are you just spouting the party line, or is this something you believe in as well?"

"That's not a simple yes or no answer. In some cases, I do miss the way things were. But I can also see the positive side of some of General Bradshaw's actions. Like take the couple of cases that affect you. I think it was a mistake that he booted you and Scarlett from OC. But taking away your personnel duties is a good move. Think about it. Why should one of the top intelligence agents be saddled with trivial clerical things like changing one's home of record?"

Lady Jaye begrudgingly admitted that he had a point. But her reaction to the latest change had nothing to do with the specific action, but rather the growing deeper problem. "Flint, you're right. And maybe I overreacted. But what I'm really upset about is that with each new announcement, I feel a piece of my old life gets chipped away. And I'm not just talking about my life with the Joe team."

"I know you've gone through a lot the last few weeks, and I'm sure most of my actions haven't helped our situation. But I hope you can say that you still love me too."

"I do," Lady Jaye said as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "I just don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Please hang in there. You have to remember, this is only temporary."

"That's the problem. I'm having a hard time believing that. What if he's not going anywhere? To me it's obvious our relationship doesn't fit into this new play-by-the-rules Joe team. But even if General Bradshaw does transfer out some time in the near future, I'm afraid by that point the damage would have already been done."

Flint's shoulders sagged. Lady Jaye gave him a few moments to respond. When he didn't she just shook her head sadly. "Thanks for the car wash," she said before she exited the garage.


	9. Chapter 9

"I received a call from General Abernathy," General Bradshaw said to begin that day's officer call. "Next week kicks off round one of the budget negotiations in DC. Due to the current perilous position the Joe team finds itself in, General Abernathy ask that we put together a state of the Joe presentation that will be given during the first day of the budget proceedings. He asked that Scarlett and Lady Jaye head the team that generates the presentation. He'd also like them to come out to DC on Monday to present it."

Falcon nodded. "I don't see either one of them having a problem with that."

"I figured as much. He also thought it would be a good idea if one of you escorted the ladies out there. He thought it would be a good way for one of you to get a taste of DC life. Falcon, it makes the most sense that you join them."

While the general had a point, Flint decided he would do everything in his power to make sure he ended up on the DC team. Luckily, fate seemed to be on his side that morning. Falcon laughed nervously. "Actually, sir, I wonder if one of the other guys can take my place. The girls can definitely handle the presentation on their own, and quite frankly, after my unfortunate court martial a few months back, I'm on a few generals' shit lists."

The general shook his head. "Fine. Duke, Flint, Beachhead? One of you game for the field trip?"

Beachhead leaned back in his chair. "You two can fight it out. You know I don't need to be part of that dog and pony show."

Flint cocked an eyebrow at Duke. "We'll talk it over after the meeting, but one of us will definitely go," Duke answered.

"Okay. Now moving on to other topics," General Bradshaw said before he consulted his notes.

Flint tuned out the rest of the meeting. He was focused on the idea of the DC trip. He wanted nothing more than to get off base with Lady Jaye, and he hoped that Duke wouldn't fight him on it. It was an understatement to say that things hadn't been going well with Lady Jaye, and he thought a couple of days in DC would do them a world of good.

Once the meeting ended, Flint waited for Beachhead and General Bradshaw to leave the room before he asked Duke about the DC trip.

"Do you want to go?" Duke asked.

Flint knew that to keep up pretenses he had to play it cool. Luckily, he had an alternate reason to go. "I do. I haven't mentioned this earlier, because I don't want to jinx myself, but General Bradshaw is putting my name in for WO-3."

Duke clapped him on the shoulder. "Congrats. Good luck with it."

"Thanks. I think it would help my chances a great deal if I could meet some of the Generals that might be on the promotion board. But since you're the boss you get the right of first refusal."

"That you have," Duke said simply. "I'm not going to go on and on about mistakes and missed opportunities, so I'll just leave it as I think it's better that I skip this trip."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this. I just need you to do me one more favor. "Jaye's not exactly my biggest fan right now, so can you call her and let her know?"

Duke grinned. "Only if you call Scarlett."

* * *

Lady Jaye watched as PFC Solomon keyed in the information into the proper fields of the digital form. She nodded as he deftly navigated through the page. What she was teaching him wasn't exactly rocket science, but there were quite a few procedures to remember, and there were some quirky aspects of the computer program.

Her phone rang, and she took a step back. When she saw it was Duke, she hoped that he had a mission brewing. He did – sort of. After he explained Hawks' request, Lady Jaye looked at her watch. "Okay, I'm working with Solomon in the Personnel office, but we should be wrapping this up in the next half hour. I'll call Scarlett when I'm done."

"Sounds good. Flint's going to be heading out there with you, so make sure you keep him in the loop as well."

Lady Jaye hung up the phone. She briefly wondered why Duke had called her if Flint was the one in charge. She then decided that Flint was probably trying to avoid her. Before she could get too aggravated by the thought, she turned her attention back to her lessons with the Greenshirt.

That took a little longer than she had expected, and she ended up meeting with Scarlett in one of the small conference rooms. Scarlett had been busy. The room had been transformed into a working office with a computer, a white board and stacks of files neatly piled on the conference table.

"General Bradshaw was quick to okay our use of the room and equipment," Scarlett explained. "Since we're basically trying to save the G.I. Joe team, he said anything we want is at our disposal."

Lady Jaye's thoughts ran wild as she tried to process the huge task in front of them. "So where do we start?"

"I'm thinking with a recap of the past year," Scarlett replied as she pushed a stack of files towards Lady Jaye. "Since it's a budgetary review, I'm assuming they mean fiscal so we should go back to last October."

Lady Jaye flipped through the files. Scarlett had already gotten a jump start on the task. "It looks like you covered everything up until our mission with Cobra in the Himalayas." Lady Jaye continued to go through the bottom of the stack. "And a good start on the missions afterwards."

"What do you mean a good start? That's everything."

Lady Jaye looked at the meager grouping that represented the post Himalayas missions. "Really? It's been nearly six months since that major battle with Cobra."

"Check the logs," Scarlett answered.

Lady Jaye flipped through the printouts and frowned. Seeing it on paper hammered home just had quiet it had been. But then she noticed something odd. "This can't be right. None of the missions Duke led are in here."

Scarlett sighed. "That's because he hasn't led any. He hasn't been out in the field since he was attacked by Serpentor. Flint and Beachhead have picked up the slack."

It was clear that there hadn't been much slack to pick up. Lady Jaye shouldn't have been surprised, as the lack of missions had been a frequent topic of conversation. But seeing it in visual form, laid out on the table, hammered home just how bad the situation was. And she had a feeling that none of this boded well for the upcoming budget presentation.

The next few days flew by in a mind-numbing flurry of paperwork, number crunching and research. Despite the fact that Lady Jaye had long passed the point of being sick at looking at spreadsheets, she had for the most part enjoyed the activity. It was good to be able to devote all of her time and energy on a Joe project, and for the first time in weeks she felt useful.

She just wished she had better news. It had become quite clear to her and Scarlett that the Joe team couldn't continue on in its current form for very long. They assumed that if the administration was serious about cutting back on the budget, the Joes would be an obvious first place to start. And they were afraid that due to the fickle nature of politics that it meant anything from minor cuts in their operation budget to completely shutting them down.

The positive side was that they had figured out that a few minor tweaks could add up to substantial savings, so a complete shutdown didn't seem necessary. But since one never knew what a budget subcommittee would end up recommending, they made sure to clearly point out all the ways that the Joe team was still necessary to the security of the United States.

Once they had all the information gathered, they wrote up a rough draft of their presentation, and then gave it to Flint and General Bradshaw to read through and make corrections. Scarlett had left to pick up the take-out they had ordered, so that left Lady Jaye alone in the room with the two men. She watched as the general finished a page and then handed it to Flint for his own read-through. Every so often one or the other would scribble a comment, which made Lady Jaye antsy. But she kept her mouth shut, and waited for them to finish.

Instead she used the time to clean up her area. Now that the report was written, she hoped it meant a fairly early night. It had been a late couple of nights, working well past dinner time, but she was proud of what she and Scarlett had accomplished. They were ahead of the schedule they set for themselves. They still had a day and a half until they left for DC, so they still had plenty of time to make whatever changes to the report were needed. Lady Jaye was tired and she hoped for an early dismissal time. Of course Beachhead hadn't given them a pass out of PT, so the late nights and early mornings had worn her down.

She stifled a yawn as she watched Flint. He was deep in thought as he stared at the report. He frowned for a moment, bounced the tip of his pen off of the desk a few times and then leaned back to think a little more before he made another notation. She realized that she knew his nuances enough to figure out what he was thinking. Something was bothering him about the report and he was trying to figure out what he needed to do to alter it to his satisfaction. She also had a guess as to what passage he had just read.

The three of them had gotten into a fairly heated argument the previous day. It was during a time when Duke and Falcon had also been sitting in to help. They started a discussion to determine the current threat level of Cobra-La. Lady Jaye had argued that she had seen first-hand the capabilities of the terrorist group. And considering that they hadn't even been on the Joes radar until the day they became a nearly insurmountable threat, that they shouldn't be counted out.

However, Scarlett countered that while she too knew Cobra –La had been a formidable enemy, the fact that, like Cobra, their leadership had either been killed or declared missing and presumed dead, they didn't present the same threat they once did. Plus she was afraid that the generals would look at their fantastical aspects, and decide that they were only an imaginary threat.

They continued their back and forth conversation for a few moments until the guys jumped in with their own thoughts. And what surprised Lady Jaye was that Flint sided with Scarlett while Falcon agreed with her point of view. Falcon too felt it was a mistake to once again underestimate Cobra-La. Flint reiterated that they weren't looking to ignore the group, he just didn't think they needed to take up a prominent part of the presentation.

After the debate carried on, Duke who had been silent through the whole argument, finally spoke. He too thought it was foolish to ignore them, as they had been the Joes last major confrontation. But he agreed with Scarlett that not a lot of detail needed to be given to the supernatural nature of the group. So he told Lady Jaye and Scarlett to sum up the battle in a general sense, and to not dwell on the individual details. But he also told them to make sure they were clear on how strong of a threat a previously unknown terrorist group turned into.

They did so, but Lady Jaye added a couple more embellishments to the section before she printed out the rough draft for Flint and the general. So she assumed Flint had reached the Cobra-La part and was editing it to his satisfaction.

She had to admit she had enjoyed working with Flint the last few days. It hadn't quite been like the pre-Bradshaw days, as the general had a tendency to pop in and out of their workspace, so they had to keep things professional between them. At first Lady Jaye had felt a tension with him, but they quickly made an unspoken decision to put aside their personal issues to keep things civil between them as they tended to the tasks at hand. Soon the civility transitioned into more friendly interactions.

It was nice working with Flint without an undercurrent of tension. It made Lady Jaye realize that it was still possible for the two of them to work in a professional manner. It gave her a little bit of hope for the future. Although she also had to admit, based on the outcome of their work their last few days, that her professional outlook had become even more dismal. It seemed unlikely that the Joe team was going to continue on much longer in its current form. Their presentation may buy them some time, but unless Cobra became an active presence in their lives again, she assumed that sooner as opposed to later most of the Joes would probably be subject to transfer or retirement orders.

Before she got too far with her grim thoughts, Scarlett returned with dinner. The general stood up and grabbed his order. "Perfect timing. I just finished my read-through and I made my comments throughout. Look it over, but don't spend a lot of time on it tonight. We can revisit it in the morning, and decide what changes to incorporate. Thank you Scarlett for picking up dinner. I don't mean to run out on you, but I'm overdue on a phone call to my wife."

Once the general left, Lady Jaye shot Scarlett an incredulous look, who just shook her head and shrugged. Flint laughed. "I told you, he's not that bad." Flint handed out the food and then took a seat at the table. "Do you still want to go over the report, or do as the general suggested and take a break until tomorrow?"

"I vote for the break," Scarlett said. "I'm sick of discussing numbers and percentages and odds of a terrorist threat. I realized on the way to Joe's that my priorities were probably off because I was disappointed that we most likely eliminated Cobra as a threat. Isn't our job keeping America safe? So shouldn't I feel ashamed that I'm disappointed that we did that?"

"You're not the only one that feels like that," Lady Jaye admitted.

"It's a reasonable reaction," Flint added. "Unfortunately we have the type of job where doing it well means we actually eliminate the need for us. But still, in the end, we should feel proud for how much we've accomplished over the last few years."

"True. But pride means nothing when you are trying to balance a budget."

Scarlett let out a growl and brought her hand to Lady Jaye's mouth. "Don't say the 'b' word."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Lady Jaye said with a smile. "Although my brain has been so focused on the report, I'm not sure I even know what else to talk about."

"Well I have a question," Scarlett said. "Does the general really have a wife, or did he use that as an excuse to ditch this rocking dinner party?"

"No, she exists," Flint replied. "He also has two boys. He showed me their photo the day I helped him move into his office."

"What does she look like?" Scarlett asked.

Flint laughed. "You're awfully nosy."

Scarlett shrugged. "I'm just having a hard time understanding how General Winning Personality not only found a woman to date, but convinced her to marry him. So I'm curious to see if she's part-troll or something."

Flint laughed again. "No, she was a perfectly normal looking woman. Fairly good looking too. Not nearly as attractive as my current company of course."

Lady Jaye smiled. She forgot herself for a moment and reached out to squeeze his hand. But she quickly remembered and she stopped herself with her hand in mid-air. She then pretended she was reaching for more napkins. However, Flint caught the gesture and gave her a sad smile.

Scarlett continued to grill Flint about the little he knew about the General's personal life. But soon the topic of conversation changed and they were once again discussing the Joe's team bleak future. "Have either of you looked into other possible assignments?" Lady Jaye asked.

"I have to be honest, I have," Scarlett said. "I actually started poking around to see what was available a couple of weeks before Hawk left. I wasn't seriously looking at the time, I just wanted to have an idea of what kind of options there were. But I've given it more serious thought lately."

Lady Jaye tapped the report. "It's not a bad idea." She sighed. "It's just so hard to contemplate moving on. This place has truly become my home."

Flint leaned over and grabbed both her and Scarlett's hands. He gave Lady Jaye's a squeeze that made her smile. She had to admit it was a clever way to connect with her. "I know it's easy to get wrapped up in the repercussions of this report. And it is wise to keep your options open for the future, but you shouldn't just assume the worst."

Scarlett's phone rang. She looked down and smiled. "Excuse me, it's my brother. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Once she left Lady Jaye turned back to Flint. "So I take it, you haven't been putting together a potential assignment wish list?"

Flint leaned back in the chair, and wrapped his arms around his chest. "I haven't. I don't want to sound full of myself, but I think I've reached a high enough level that personal choice has been taken out of the equation. I have to wait for a higher up to order me to either stay here, or move on to somewhere else."

"And what if one or both of us gets that kind of order? Will we continue to try to maintain a long distance relationship? We can barely keep it going while we are both stationed at the same base."

Flint removed his beret and ran his hand through his hair. "Can we not do this? I didn't want to talk about this the other day, and I really don't want to get into another argument now, especially over hypotheticals."

But Lady Jaye wasn't going to let him get off so easy. "I'm just looking for reassurance."

"Are you? Or are you just looking to start another fight?" Flint asked.

Lady Jaye stared at him for a moment. "I think it says a lot that you consider me asking questions about our future as picking a fight."

Flint sighed. "Okay, now you're definitely reading too much into what I said. This is why I don't want to keep having these talks, because it seems like whatever I say it's the wrong thing."

For the first time that night, Lady Jaye agreed with him. Maybe it was just a case of miscommunication between them. It wouldn't be the first time that happened to them. She was sure that the stress of General Bradshaw's arrival plus the precarious position of the Joe team wasn't helping matters. But she still didn't think it was too much to ask to have Flint reassure her that they had a future worth fighting for.

Before she could voice her questions again Flint spoke. "Alison, I don't know exactly what's coming down the road. There are so many changes going on right now, that I'm just trying to deal with each situation as it happens." He stood up. "I wish this wasn't so hard on us, but all I can say is that I know that I love you and therefore I have hope for the future."

Lady Jaye watched Flint leave. His declaration should have made her feel better, but for some reason it didn't.

* * *

Flint rolled over and turned off the alarm a few minutes before it was due to go off. He wondered why he even bothered setting it anymore, as he hadn't been able to get a full night's sleep since General Hawk had left. He wasn't sure if that was due to the loss of his bedmate, and the ensuing loneliness that followed, or if was due to too much pent-up energy caused by stress and idleness. Or a combination of the two.

However, his previous night's sleeplessness was due to the last couple of conversations he had had with Lady Jaye. She probably figured he was completely clueless, but in reality he wasn't. It was obvious that she wanted a clear cut sign of their future together. And as he got out of bed to once again handle the small box he had purchased months ago, he knew he had the proof that she was looking for.

What kept him up at night was wondering whether he was making a mistake holding out any longer to finally propose. He had come close the previous night. When she kept grilling him about their future together he almost blurted out that he had a ring waiting for her. But he kept quiet. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he was only doing it because of an ultimatum on her part. So he was still hell-bent on waiting. He now realized that the perfect time was never going to come, but he at least still wanted to wait until he could do it on his terms and surprise her with it.

Which is why he decided that he was going to bring the ring to DC. It wasn't ideal, as he had hoped that it could be done while the two were on some kind of vacation or getaway, but even if it was work related they were still going to be off base. With the way things had gotten, that was good enough for him.

So that meant he had little over twenty four hours to plan a semi-perfect proposal. He was definitely going to be limited in his options as he wasn't even sure what their arrival time in DC was going to be. Their flight details still needed to be worked out, and Flint hoped that would be resolved later on that day.

Due to the uncertainty he wondered if it would be better to just plan it for the night of the presentation. But there was a greater chance they would be forced to mingle with Hawk or some of the other generals after. Which if he was truly looking to better his chances for a promotion, he should have been making plans to socialize with some of the high ranking officials. However, at the moment he was more concerned about saving his relationship than furthering his career.

So it seemed like the safest bet was to make a late reservation at a nice restaurant for the night of their arrival in DC. It was not the most original location for a proposal, and a far cry from his initial thoughts of kneeling on the sands of a foreign beach while the sun set behind him, but at least it was a little more romantic than just popping out the ring in their hotel room.

And honestly, the setting didn't matter as long as she said yes. That was a thought that made Flint's chest tighten. A few weeks ago he wouldn't have had a doubt in the world that she wanted to marry him. But lately Lady Jaye had made a point of bringing up all of the roadblocks they currently faced on the road to a life of wedded bliss. Apparently the last few weeks of limited time together had given her a lot of time to dwell on the negative implications of their relationship.

The really depressing part was that Lady Jaye wasn't wrong. There were too many obstacles in their way. General Bradshaw's actions had given every indication that he wasn't going to let any rules slide. So if the general stayed on the Joe team, the best they could hope for was continuing a relationship in secret. And that was assuming there was still going to be a Joe team. Transferring to other units would only make things worse as they would not only have a secret relationship, but a long distance one as well.

Flint sat back down on the bed with a sigh. All that meant the proposal would basically be an empty gesture. But hopefully it would prove to Lady Jaye how much he loved her. And while it wouldn't solve any problems he would hope that she would take it as a sign that he wanted to figure out the road going forward together.


	10. Chapter 10

"How's it going in here?" Duke asked the next afternoon as he walked into the conference room. "Is your presentation all ready to go?"

Scarlett exhaled sharply. "If you had arrived an hour ago, you could have seen it. We just finished a dry run."

"I'm sorry. But I did have other business I needed to attend to. How did they do?" Duke asked Flint.

"They're fine. They're very professional and knowledgeable and provide all the information in a clear and concise manner. But I don't think the report bodes well for the Joe team."

"It's that bad?" Duke asked. "What's the bottom line?"

"We're going to do our best to spin all of this in a positive light, but you don't have to be an economics major to see that the numbers are not in our favor," Lady Jaye answered. "This is the cliff notes version of what we'll be presenting."

"Just look at the payroll alone," Scarlett added. "You could justify it when we had proof that we were helping America sleep soundly at night. But now? I don't blame the budget committee for getting antsy."

Duke flipped through the report. He asked a few more questions that Scarlett and Lady Jaye answered. Once he was satisfied he put the report down. "Okay, before we all totally panic and start polishing up our resumes, let's calm down for a minute. Is there anyone here in this room that truly thinks Cobra is dead and gone?"

"No," the three of them said in near unison.

Duke nodded. "So we just need to figure out a way to convey that threat to the committee."

Scarlett glared at him. "No kidding. What do you think Jaye and I have been trying to do the last few days? But we can't go in there with nothing more than a gut feeling."

Lady Jaye eyed Scarlett to make sure she wasn't going to totally lose her cool. The redhead was obviously upset with Duke, but she seemed to be holding it together. Lady Jaye flipped open the report to one of the slides. "Page eight highlights our most educated guesses to the current whereabouts of the main players of Cobra. We verbally list some of the minor members as well. We've gone back and forth on whether to expand on it, but it seemed like we were grasping at straws."

Duke looked it over for a moment and then consulted their notes. "I think the way you present it is the right call. It's also a good idea to make the list of non-Cobra threats we faced."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Scarlett will also make a point about the increased threat of copycat attacks as well."

"We're basically throwing a whole lot of information at them, in the hope that something resonates in their mind," Scarlett said. "It's our Hail Mary pass to save the Joe team."

Duke went quiet as he skimmed through the report again. Lady Jaye looked around the room. It was fitting that in the end when they were discussing the demise of the Joe team that it was only the four of them gathered together.

She then focused on Flint, who had stayed surprisingly quiet throughout the conversation. Looking back over the day, Lady Jaye realized that he had barely said anything since the abrupt end of their dinner conversation the previous night. For the first time in months, if not years, Lady Jaye had no idea what was going through his head. She once again had a longing for the pre-Bradshaw days when they would have been free to turn to each other to work through their concerns, worries and doubts.

However, she couldn't linger too long on her personal problems. Duke looked at his watch. "It looks like you've done all you could. Take a short break. General Bradshaw is wrapping up a few things, and I think you're ready to present the final draft to him. But regardless of what the outcome in DC is, keep the doom and gloom thoughts to ourselves. I don't want the rest of the team getting wind of our fears until there is something concrete for them to worry about. And look, we've been through this before, so I think fearing the worst is a bit premature."

Lady Jaye nodded as she stood. She needed the break. She almost felt as bad physically as she did mentally. Once again they had worked through lunch, which was fine since she was too queasy to eat a meal. But she did want to take a walk, so she headed to the cafeteria to see if there was anything worth snacking on.

Flint joined her at her side. They walked in silence for a few moments before he finally spoke. "I was thinking back to the night before Hawk announced that he was leaving. We weren't exactly right on all the details, but it looks like we may have predicted the future." She may not be able to read his thoughts, but he could apparently read hers.

Flint continued quietly. "I miss those nights. And I was thinking about our talk last night. It's hard to do it here where we have to worry about our every move, so I hope while we're in DC we could make up for lost time. I did some research, and there are a couple of really nice restaurants close to where we're staying. When we land tomorrow afternoon, I want to take you out for a good, long dinner, where we can finally talk in peace. And then afterwards I want to take advantage of a private hotel room. Do you think Scarlett will be offended if she spends the couple of nights alone?"

It sounded wonderful. But before Lady Jaye could even respond they were interrupted by the arrival of a perturbed Tripwire. "Flint, you have to come by the Charlie dorm. There's a situation."

Flint muttered under his breath. "I have a meeting with the general in a few minutes. Can't Beachhead handle it?"

"Unfortunately, he's taking care of the other…situation."

Flint continued his mutterings but he followed Tripwire. Lady Jaye couldn't help but chuckle and wondered what the dueling situations were. She figured if it was a good story she'd hear about it soon enough. It was also a perfect example of their current situation. They couldn't even talk about private time together without the Joe team interfering.

She continued on to the cafeteria, while mulling over Flint's suggestion. Even though it irritated her that he apparently thought their relationship could be paused and restarted on command, it did sound like a wonderful evening. A romantic night alone together was awfully tempting. But reality was only going to set in the following morning, when the Senate subcommittee basically decided their professional future. And Lady Jaye couldn't fathom any kind of good outcome. So what then? And even at best case, that the Joe team comes through unscathed, their time in DC was limited. Was it worth bonding together for a short time when they were only going to have to distance themselves yet again once they returned to HQ?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a violent rolling in her stomach. She leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes until the wave passed. Going to the infirmary was something else she was going to add to her to-do list once she returned from DC. Hopefully the reason why she was feeling so lousy lately was something she could get an answer to.

* * *

"Yes, Hawk, I completely understand," Duke said. He cradled the phone against his shoulder and waved Beachhead in who was hovering just outside his office door. Beachhead looked extraordinarily calm, which Duke knew from past experience, was not a good sign.

That morning, at officer's call General Bradshaw had given them unsettling news regarding the latest group of "Rawhides", the elite few of the Greenshirts that were deemed nearly ready to join the Joe team. Up until a few months ago, Beachhead had been in charge of training the Rawhides. However, after Duke's injury sidelined him, Beachhead had to cede that duty to Sergeant Slaughter so he could help out with the leadership staff. But then Sergeant Slaughter transferred to Fort Hood, and Duke had slowly been able to resume his former roll, so all had assumed that Beachhead would once again be in charge of the Rawhides training. That had been the plan until that morning when word came down from DC that this latest class was still to be trained under Sergeant Slaughter.

To say that Beachhead was irate over the news would be an understatement. Granted, an angry Beachhead was a staple of officer calls, but he was especially outraged at the apparent vote of no-confidence in his training skills. Since Flint had his hands full with the sub-committee presentation, it had become Duke's headache. After officer's call ended, Duke received an earful from the drill instructor who ended his tirade with a plea to "fix it".

And Duke had tried. His first call had been to Sergeant Slaughter who was just as surprised to hear the news. To further complicate matters, the sergeant was in the middle of training a class already, so he couldn't just drop what he was doing and fly to Joe Headquarters. At first Duke thought that snafu was going to put an end to the nonsense. But when he informed General Bradshaw of Sergeant Slaughter's unavailability, the general placed a call to the Pentagon where they learned that if Sergeant Slaughter couldn't come to the Rawhides, the Rawhides would have to be brought to him. General Bradshaw had questioned the move, and received a convoluted explanation that it was all due to budget cuts.

"Budget cuts?" Duke asked once the general relayed the information he had received. "How is it cheaper to send these guys off base?"

"My guess it's because they're not planning on sending them to the Joe team once they are trained," General Bradshaw replied.

Duke dropped his head in his hands. "I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come with the sub-committee meeting."

General Bradshaw shook his head. "I'm afraid it might be. Have you had a chance to sit in on the girls' presentation?"

Duke bristled as the general's description of Scarlett and Lady Jaye, and he was glad they weren't around to hear "the girls" comment. Sure, he and Flint sometimes referred to them in that way, always out of their earshot of course, but he knew they meant it in an endearing way. Hearing the words come out of General Bradshaw's mouth seemed a little more demeaning. Duke though, knew better than to call the general out. "We did some brainstorming the other day, but I haven't seen the finished product yet. I was hoping to meet with them this afternoon." Duke looked at his watch and then muttered under his breath, as he realized it was a lot later than he thought. "Let me make a few calls and then I'm going to pop in and see how they're doing."

The few calls took longer than expected, which made him miss the latest dry run of the presentation, a fact Scarlett seemed to take great pleasure in pointing out. He had enough on his plate without delving into that mess, so he ignored her barbs as much as possible. Once he dismissed them, he quickly headed back to his office. Some sort of situation was brewing in the barracks, but he pawned the problems off to Flint and Beachhead. It was getting late on the East Coast, and if Duke had any chance of still catching Hawk at the office, he needed to call him as soon as possible.

Luck was finally on his side and he did get a hold of Hawk. However, the general had no better news for him. As Duke looked at Beachhead who had begun to pace, he knew the literal headache he had been suffering from all day was about to get worse. He wrapped up his conversation with Hawk and Beachhead stopped his pacing the minute the handset was replaced in the cradle.

"Please tell me you were able to fix this," Beachhead said.

"No go," Duke replied with a shake of his head. "I talked to the few contacts I still have in DC. Apparently the decision has been made, and nothing can change it. With the budget proceedings starting, everyone is on their best behavior, so they don't want to defy any standing orders."

"What about Hawk? He's never been afraid to rock the boat."

"He tried. He pointed out how idiotic it is to send the Rawhides to Sergeant Slaughter when there is a perfectly good training center and trainer here. He got the same cockamamie answer about budgeting. He was then politely told to mind his own business."

"Well, shit." Beachhead answered. He sat heavily in one of the empty chairs.

"The best I can offer you is that I could make the suggestion that you should accompany the Rawhides."

Beachhead scoffed. "To be a glorified baby-sitter that has to suffer through watching Slaughter's training methods? No, thanks." He settled back against the chair. After a few minutes of quiet Beachhead asked, "Am I reading too much into this, or is this as bad as I think it is?"

Duke sighed. That seemed to be the question of the day. "Officially, I know as much as you do. We'll have a better idea next week after the proceedings, so there is no need to panic just yet."

Beachhead nodded. He thanked Duke for his time, and left just as quietly as he came in. Duke reached into his desk drawer, grabbed the bottle of pain pills, and shook a couple into his mouth. He was grateful that Beachhead didn't rant and rave to add to his pain level, but the fact that Beachhead accepted the news with barely a word was disconcerting to Duke. It was like the ranger had already become resigned to his fate.

That was something that Duke hadn't been able to do yet. Over the last few months, he had made some fairly major decisions that had seemed like the right choice at the time. But now, as he had sat on what felt like the precipice of his life falling apart, he questioned just about every move he had made.

He leaned back into his chair and waited for the pills to do their magic. If anyone asked, he would claim he needed them for a killer headache. However, the truth was he needed it more for the lingering pain from the injury sustained in his battle with Serpentor. Duke had come a long way in his recovery, but on a day like today that was filled with stress and running around, he felt the throbbing pain more acutely.

He wondered if he should pay a visit to Doc, just to be checked out again, but he decided against it. Doc had strongly advised against returning to the Joe team as early as he did, and the doctor made the point to bring that fact up whenever Duke went by the infirmary to ask him a question about his pain level. To appease him, Duke had promised that his return would only involve desk duty, and he would leave the field assignments to Flint and Beachhead. That had been a hard enough caveat to offer, as he felt like a Top that couldn't leave the base was basically impotent.

But Duke had consoled himself with the idea that the restriction would only last for a short time, and that he would be healed enough for a full range of duties within a few weeks at most. However, that deadline had come and gone and Duke felt he was no closer to full recovery. If he felt this bad after just going from office to office in Joe HQ, how could he ever have the strength to return to the field?

The ache in his chest began to dull, so Duke used the opportunity to tidy up his desk. As he looked over his notes from the day, he realized that returning to the field may end up not being an option whether he was healthy or not. Between the Rawhides debacle, and the sub-committee meeting, the writing was on the wall that major changes were likely in the works for the Joe team.

He rehashed the presentation that Scarlett and Lady Jaye had put together. As much as he would have liked to focus on the technical details, he kept going back to Scarlett and her less than warm interactions with him. He didn't blame her in the slightest for her response. At the time of General Bradshaw's arrival, Duke thought it would be best to make a quick and clean break from Scarlett. She obviously hadn't agreed with him.

When Duke first began to realize that his feelings for Shana O'Hara went deeper than friendship, and well past what a first sergeant should have for a subordinate, he figured out an exit strategy. At first that simply meant keeping as much distance from her as possible. But that proved to be not as easy as it seemed. They ended up on several missions together, and a couple of them struck an emotional chord that made it very hard for Duke to keep his barrier up. Plus, Scarlett made it quite clear that she felt strongly about him, and she tried to get him to admit that the feeling was mutual.

And if he was being honest, there was a time where he had basically strung her along. He had to admit that he liked the attention, and to be honest having a woman as smart and attractive as Scarlett interested in him was quite the ego boost. So they played the game until he was stabbed by Serpentor.

Duke had no recollection of the immediate aftermath. Apparently he had been cradled by a sobbing Scarlett while he tried to dole out last minute advice to an equally upset Falcon before he slipped into a coma. Duke learned the basic details from Doc upon awakening from his coma, but he didn't realize how upset Scarlett had been until Falcon came to visit him in the infirmary.

Duke grinned at his younger brother as he walked through the door. He had gotten the full mission debrief, and had learned that the kid was a hero. "Finally, it's the man of the hour. I was wondering if you were ever going to pay your big brother a visit."

"Con, I'm sorry about that. I wanted to come sooner but I got caught up in all of the post-mission BS."

Duke waved him off, and then grimaced at the pain the small movement caused. "Don't worry about it, I'm just giving you a hard time. I hope you've been basking in the glory of your new-found hero status."

Duke was surprised to see a flash of embarrassment pass over Falcon's face. "I'm not a hero. We all worked together to beat Cobra-La." Duke nodded. Maybe the court martial and time with Sergeant Slaughter rehabilitated the kid.

They talked for a few minutes until there was a knock on the door and Scarlett walked in. She smiled at Duke but then she realized Falcon was there. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company. I'll come back."

Falcon jumped up. "Don't be silly, you can stay. I need to go in a few minutes anyway."

"Finish up your conversation. I want to talk to Doc about something."

Falcon watched Scarlett leave and then turned to Duke. "So, what's going on there?"

"Nothing," Duke answered honestly. But the harder question was what did he want to have happen?

"Really?" Falcon asked with a smirk. "From what I hear, she's barely left your bedside."

That was true. The memory of his first moments awake was fuzzy, but most of the times he could remember Scarlett had been there with him. However, Duke wanted to put an end to the conversation before it started. "So what are your plans, are you heading back with Sergeant Slaughter?"

"Actually, Sergeant Slaughter said he's going to be hanging around here for the next few weeks, so I am too. But nice try in changing the conversation. Con, please tell me you know how desperately in love with you she is?"

Duke sighed. "I doubt it's that deep."

"I don't. I saw how devastated she was when we thought we were going to lose you. But you came back to us. You have a second chance, so why the hell aren't you doing anything about it? I know you must care about her as well."

"Damn it, Vinnie, I don't want to do this. But, yes, I do care about her, and I wish I could act on that. However, there are certain rules in place that are stopping me from doing so."

"Come on, are you sure that's not just an excuse? Look at Flint and Lady Jaye. They're bound by the same rules and they're making it work. They barely kept their hands off of each other on the transport home."

"It's different for them," Duke muttered.

"No, it's not," Falcon said as he once again stood. "Stop making yourself miserable, and for once in your life, don't be the goody two-shoes who denies himself what he really wants."

It probably wouldn't go down in history as one of the best motivational speeches ever given, but it was enough to finally spur Duke into action. When Scarlett returned to his room, and he saw the look of love in her eyes, his resistance faded. He grabbed her hand and told her how much he did care about her, and how he was done fighting it. The look on her face when he finished speaking was worth it. She took care not to hurt him as she leaned over to kiss him.

Despite being holed up in the hospital bed, Duke had one of the best afternoons in his life. They talked and laughed, and basically made up for lost time. Once Scarlett left for the night, Duke replayed the day in his head. He was happy with how it played out, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe that there weren't still going to be consequences from their actions. So he made himself a promise that at the first sign that their relationship would pose a threat to either one of their careers or the Joe team, that he would put an end to it.

So when that time came, and even though it turned into one of the most painful things he had ever done, he kept to that promise. Now the woman that used to look at him with such love and affection, looked at him with hate and disgust. He hoped that one day she would realize that he had no choice in the matter, and that ending their relationship devastated him as well. He planned on sitting down with her one day to explain his rationale again, and hopefully salvage something of a friendship.

Based on her interactions with him that afternoon, that day wasn't coming any time soon. He had made the right call staying out of the budget presentation and putting Flint in charge. He at least was still able to work civilly with Lady Jaye. Duke then wondered what the real story was with them. He didn't believe in the slightest that the two had also sacrificed their relationship. But he was not going to poke that hornet's nest. For the first time, Flint was actually being discreet about something, and as long as that kept up, than Duke didn't want to dig any deeper.

He was startled from his dark thoughts by the arrival of Falcon who knocked on his door and asked, "So what do you think?"

Duke sighed and mumbled, "That I made a complete Charlie Foxtrot of my life."

"What was that?" Falcon asked. He walked in and took a seat.

"Nothing. What's going on?"

Falcon reached over and pulled out a piece of paper and brochure from one of the piles on his desk. "Did you get a chance to read the letter from my father? He wants to put a memorial near mom's grave."

Duke hadn't as it unfortunately had gotten lost in the events of the day. But he had long since realized that he didn't have much of a say in when his stepfather had made a decision. "Yeah, it's nice," he lied.

Falcon smiled. "Great. I'll give him a call." He rose from the chair and Duke thought he was going to escape with a brief visit. However, Falcon paused and turned to him. "Conrad, are you okay? You look awful."

For a very brief moment, Duke considered coming clean. But he didn't want to burden his brother with his fears over the Joe team, as Falcon's job was just as much on the line. And as for his issues with Scarlett, confiding in the monogamous-phobic Vincent Falcone was probably a waste of time. So he once again lied. "I'm fine, just dealing with standard BS. My new task is keeping Beachhead from killing Sergeant Slaughter."

Falcon laughed. "I'd actually pay good money to see that fight." He once again walked out but stopped in the doorway. "One more thing, and this is coming from a screw-up expert, you haven't totally lost your chance with Scarlett."

Duke startled. Either the thoughts had been clearly written on his face, or his brother was more astute than he had ever given him credit for. Luckily Falcon did leave, so he didn't have to respond. He allowed himself a few more moments alone with his thoughts before he forced himself to stand up. The pleasant numbing sensations from the medication had kicked in so it was time to stop hiding in his office and get back to his job. A job he hoped he wasn't on the verge of losing. Especially since he gave up a shot at true happiness for it.


	11. Chapter 11

"Excellent work," General Bradshaw replied once they finished their run through. "You put together a very detailed and thorough report."

"Thanks, General," Scarlett replied. "We'll put some finishing touches on it before we leave tomorrow."

General Bradshaw rose from his chair. "Sounds good. You're dismissed. Get some sleep tonight, you're going to have a long couple of days ahead."

Scarlett turned to Flint and Lady Jaye. "I fully intend on taking him up on that. I will see you in the morning."

"I want to get an early start. Meet us back here at 0700 tomorrow," Flint ordered.

Lady Jaye also took that as her cue to leave. She gathered her files together, and tried to ignore Flint's gaze.

"As I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, I'm looking forward to our little getaway," Flint finally said.

Lady Jaye sighed. "Dash, it sounds like tomorrow will be a really nice night. But what happens the next day?"

"I know we have the committee meeting, but we'll have time again after that. I fully intend on making the most of the few hours we have together."

"But, that's my point. It's only a few hours. Eventually we have to come back here."

"This is what's so frustrating. You want me to prove my love, and I try. But it's still not good enough. You're more worried about what comes after. Why can't we just take advantage of a golden opportunity?"

"Because I can't keep doing this. As much as you keep trying to avoid the topic, it's clear that we have a very dismal future, so is it worth it? I would love to spend a couple of care-free days with you in DC, but I can't if I know that once we come back here, it's over."

"Hey, wait a minute, nothing is over. I don't want this to end. I love you too much. I may not know what the future will bring, but I know I still want you in it. We've been under too much pressure here, so it's been hard to think clearly. Please keep an open mind until we get to DC. We need to get away from here to reconnect and to figure out how to make this work."

"Okay," Lady Jaye conceded. "But, Flint I have to warn you, if this is the best I can hope for," she sighed as she debated how to finish the sentence. The reality was that she had no idea at the moment how she really felt. Her emotions had been haywire lately. "Then I don't know if I want it."

Flint's head dropped. She waited a few moments for him to respond, but he kept quiet. As proof of her see-sawing emotions, her heart went out to him. So she tried to explain herself further. "Dash, I don't know what's wrong with me. I do know that I love you. But then it seems like every moment we spend together I do find a reason to pick a fight with you. Maybe you're right that it's just the stress of the situation, and it would help if I didn't feel like crap all the time."

That got his attention. Flint looked up at her. "What's wrong? Have you been to Doc or Lifeline?"

"No, but I'm going to go to them once I get back. I picked up a stomach bug in Greece, and I think the stress is just making it worse. So you're right, maybe a couple of days in DC, in that high stress environment, will be good for me."

"At least it will be a different source of stress," Flint added with a small smile. "But seriously, don't make any hasty decisions. Let's use the time in DC to take advantage of being away from here. We'll talk, and figure out where we go from here."

Lady Jaye nodded. She was pretty sure that conversation wasn't going to end well, so before Flint could see the tears in her eyes, she turned and left.

* * *

The next morning, Lady Jaye woke up early and raced for the bathroom. She did her now standard first thing of the morning vomiting. Once she was sure her stomach was empty, she hopped in the shower. When she came out she found Scarlett staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"Do you realize that you've been doing that for at least a week?"

"Believe me, I have. On top of everything else, apparently I've been hit with the world's longest bout of food poisoning."

"Are you sure it's food poisoning? Did you stop to consider that maybe you're pregnant?"

"Oh my God," Lady Jaye said as she slowly sat down on the couch. She began to crunch the numbers, which wasn't easy since she never kept good track of her cycle. "When was it that most of the guys went out to celebrate Quickick's engagement and we took over the rec room for a girls' night?"

"That was the beginning of last month, I believe. Maybe three or four weeks before General Bradshaw arrived?" Scarlett said. She joined her on the couch. "Why? Do you think that's the night you conceived?"

Lady Jaye cringed at the word. "No, it's the last time I had my period." In fact, she remembered that she had been very happy it had been lighter than usual.

"Alison, that was nearly two months ago. Didn't you notice you were late? I have mine timed down practically to the second. I start to flip out if I'm even five minutes late."

Lady Jaye looked at Scarlett. The fact that the anal-retentive red head was that in tune with her cycle did not surprise Lady Jaye. But the fact that she was apparently having enough sex to warrant being concerned about missed periods was. Lady Jaye filed that question away to ask at a later date when she wasn't so concerned about her own problems. "I know. I should have, but I guess I got distracted by General Bradshaw's arrival."

Scarlett wasn't done with her third degree. "Okay, so what happened? Did you forget to use protection once?"

Lady Jaye inwardly laughed. She wished it had only been one time. Over the course of their three year dating history there had been a handful of times, usually on a mission, when their desire overcame their common sense. She remembered sweating out the encounters, until after a while she had become complacent. Even though she knew pregnancy was always a possibility, she figured based on their history, and the fact that sex was usually infrequent thanks to conflicting schedules, that the odds were in their favor. But then the last few months, at least before Bradshaw's arrival, with the two of them spending the majority of their time on base together, sex had become regular for them. And for the most part they had been faithful with the birth control. But she remembered one night when Flint had reached into the nightstand to find it empty. And another night when they had been by the pool when the intention had been to only fool around, but they had reached a point where they couldn't stop themselves.

None of that she wanted to hash over with Scarlett. "Dr. O'Hara, once we're done with this line of questioning, would you like to review my medical history?"

Scarlett frowned. "I'm just wondering how you could be so careless."

Lady Jaye dropped her head into her hands. "I know. Well this explains why I've been such a raging bitch lately." She then remembered how she left things with Flint the night before. "And what makes this even more of a poor timing, is that I basically told Dash that we have no future together."

Scarlett rubbed her back. "Well, this might change that. So what are you going to do?"

She rubbed at her hair. "I don't know. I need time to think." She looked at the clock and cursed. "Which is what I don't have right now. We're late for our meeting."

Scarlett stood up. "Okay. I'll meet with Flint and make an excuse for you while you go to infirmary."

"Whoa, wait. I can't do that right now. I'll never be able to focus on anything in DC."

"And ignoring it is going to make it easier?"

"For now, yes. Once I know for sure, I'm going to want to tell Dash as soon as I can. I can't do that to him today. After the DC proceedings, I'll buy a pregnancy test and find out. But first let's get this damn trip over with."

* * *

Flint muttered a few choice words once he hung up from the restaurant. He tried to wait as long as possible before canceling his reservation, but as morning turned to afternoon and they were still stuck waiting to leave, it was clear there was no chance of them making it. He wished just once that something related to the Joes would go as planned.

"Wheels up in ten minutes," Lift-Ticket announced with a pat on the back.

"Oh yeah? Why should I believe it this time?" Flint said with barely restrained hostility.

"Because it looks like the Rawhides have finally been cleared to leave," Lift-Ticket answered with a nod towards the crowd that had gathered on the tarmac. Scarlett was handing out the paperwork that Flint hoped meant they were truly cleared to leave. If what had transpired the last couple of days was any indication of the bureaucratic nightmare the Joe team will have to deal with in the future, General Bradshaw's changes was just the least of their problems.

The first he had heard about the drama with the Rawhides was during the previous day's officer call. He had to admit that at the start he barely paid attention to the events of the meeting as he had been distracted by the idea of his proposal. But it quickly became apparent that there were greater implications for the Joe team, so Flint pushed aside his personal issues. The fact that Washington was butting into the training of the new recruits was further proof that their presentation to the subcommittee was not going to go well. With everything he had on his mind, he had spent the rest of the day distracted, and had barely paid any attention to the final dry run Lady Jaye and Scarlett had performed.

The conversation with Lady Jaye didn't help matters, and he went to bed expecting another sleepless night. But his exhaustion must have caught up with him, as he fell asleep within moments of hitting his bed. The much needed rest cheered him up, as he woke up feeling optimistic. Even though Lady Jaye had told him that she wasn't looking forward to the trip, he knew her feelings would change once he proposed. He hoped that they could at least enjoy a memorable night together before all hell broke loose. With a grin, he fantasized about the night ahead as he walked out to the tarmac. However, his good thoughts were short lived as he learned that their trip was delayed due to the Rawhides.

Apparently the brass had figured out the most economical way to get the Rawhides to Sergeant Slaughter was to piggyback on to Flint's trip. Which would have been fine if it hadn't been a last minute decision. Every move in the military required paperwork to be filed in triplicate, and absolutely nothing got done quickly. It didn't help that there was still a discussion as to whether the Rawhides were going to be dropped off on the way to DC, or if they were going to fly Sergeant Slaughter into one of the local bases in the DC area.

"Are we still dropping them off at Fort Hood?" Flint asked.

Lift-Ticket shook his head. "Nope. We're doing a direct to Andrews. I don't know what happens after that, as I'm sure it'll change three times while we're in the air."

"I don't even care at this point, as long as we do get in the air. Let me tell the girls we're ready and I'll meet you in the cockpit."

Flint looked around the tarmac. Scarlett had been busy helping to straighten out the Rawhides paperwork, but Flint hadn't seen Lady Jaye since early that morning. He walked over to Scarlett and asked her if she had seen Lady Jaye.

"Last I saw, she was in the conference room. Do you want me to go get her?"

"No, I will," Flint answered. Now that it looked like they were actually leaving, he wondered if he should call the restaurant back to make a later reservation. But he was afraid that as soon as he did that, something else would happen to delay them. He decided that he would figure something out once they did arrive in DC.

Lady Jaye was still in the conference room, her presentation notebook closed in front of her. She seemed lost in thought, and that was proven when she didn't respond to his announcement of their departure.

"Jaye? Did you hear me?" Flint asked.

"I'm sorry," she said as she shook her head. "I didn't. What did you say?"

"We're finally taking off." Flint replied. He did not like the way she looked. Her face was blotchy, like she had cried recently. Flint once again inwardly cursed his inability to comfort her. He decided though to risk the consequence. He pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat. He then brought his hand to her shoulder and squeezed. "Hey, are you okay?"

Lady Jaye's demeanor changed instantly. She put on a smile that Flint was sure was forced. "Me? I'm fine. I'm just, contemplating various things."

That too Flint didn't like. He had a pretty good guess on what she was thinking about. He became infuriated again over the loss of the private time they would have had that evening. He lowered his voice. "Unfortunately due to the Rawhides fiasco, I had to cancel our dinner plans. But once we land, I still want to do something. Even if it is just ordering room service in a hotel room."

Instead of cheering her up it seemed to make her sadder. "We'll talk about it when we land." She then grabbed the notebook and walked out. Flint watched her go, a feeling of dread in his heart.

* * *

Lady Jaye closed her eyes as she rested her head against the side of the Tomahawk. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she did enjoy the relative quiet to be alone with her thoughts. At first her mind wandered, but then she started to give serious thought about the potential life growing inside of her.

She tried to hold on to the idea that at the moment it still was only a possibility. Until she had a test to confirm the pregnancy, it could all be just a false alarm. But deep down she knew it was true. Her continuing queasiness was just one confirmation of her condition. She hadn't felt right for weeks, and as she again searched through her recollections of the past few weeks, she knew she had missed at least her last period.

So going with the assumption that what she suspected was true, what was she going to do? She knew she had options. She could make an appointment to terminate the pregnancy without Flint ever knowing it existed. With her relationship on the rocks, and the threat the baby made to her already downward spiraling career, it made logical sense. But that option filled her with a deep sadness. And while she truly believed it was her final call to make, the idea of terminating Flint's baby without him even knowing about it seemed awfully cruel.

To test her resolve she imagined the worst case scenario which was losing both Flint and her job with the Joes and raising the child as a single mother. The thought did scare her. But then she flashed on an image of sitting with her child in her lap while she read to him or her a favorite French fairy tale, and she realized her mind was made up. She had only known about if for a few hours, but she realized she had already fallen in love with her baby.

That decided she knew the road ahead of her was not going to be easy. She opened her eyes and looked towards the front of the Tomahawk. She could only see the back of Flint's head. Lady Jaye wondered what his reaction would be to the news. Would he be happy? Or would he consider it a burden that he would have to deal with?

She figured that if this had happened a few weeks ago, back when they were blissfully in love with each other, that he would have been ecstatic. But now she wasn't so sure. She had no doubt that he would want to do right by the baby. Family had always been very important to Flint, so he would never abandon his child. She assumed he would want to do the same for her. But going back to her previous question would he do it because he wanted to or because he felt obligated to?

And what did she want? Again, it was only a few weeks ago when she assumed marriage and kids were in their near future. Life wasn't quite as rosy at the moment, but the reason why she was so unhappy was because she was afraid that little by little their relationship had started to erode. The baby would be quite the motivation for them to figure out how to make their relationship work. But she wanted it to be of his own volition because he loved her, and not because he felt like it was the right thing to do.

And conversely, she didn't want to stay with him only because she felt like she had no other choice. So she spent a few moments searching her own heart. She wanted to figure out how many of her negative feelings towards him were due to actual issues and not a case of hormones and emotions running wild. She thought back to their life together the last few years, and it was apparent that she still loved him. He too had insisted over and over again that he still loved her as well. She believed him and she still wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, raising their baby together.

Fairly confident that she resolved the personal issues, she turned her thoughts to the professional ramifications. That was not going to be resolved as easily. There just wasn't a way around the fact that they had been breaking the rules, and now there was irrefutable evidence of it. Once that fact came out, they would both most likely have to face a court martial and a dishonorable discharge. After all the good they had done for the Joes, and really the world, it seemed unfair that their career and legacy would be destroyed. Lady Jaye wasn't sure how, but she was going to do everything in her power to avoid that.

She cycled through a list of options. She wasn't naïve enough to think that they would get through this unscathed, but she did want to try and figure out a way to minimize the repercussions. As the plane began its descent into Washington, she was no closer to an answer. The only thing she did decide was that she wanted to hold off on telling General Bradshaw as long as possible. If they were extremely lucky, Hawk would be reassigned to the Joe team in the coming weeks and General Bradshaw would be none the wiser.

They touched down on the tarmac, and the Joes exited the chopper. Flint spent a few minutes addressing the Rawhides until their transportation arrived to take them to their hotel near the Pentagon. By the time they arrived and were checked in, it was nearly nine at night. Lady Jaye was pleasantly surprised to find out they had all been granted their own rooms. She figured she was going to have to double up with Scarlett, and she had been debating which was going to be the lesser of the two evils, sharing the room with Scarlett and avoiding her questions, or Flint and avoiding his. Now she could just be alone.

Before they turned in, they did decide to get a quick dinner at one of the local take-out places, but Lady Jaye barely ate. She had to swallow against the growing lump in her throat. She was sitting at a table with the two people in the world she was closest to, but she had never felt so alone.

She stood up. "We should head back. It's getting late."

"It is," Scarlett agreed. "Flint, why don't you go ahead? I need to get something from the CVS down the street. Alison, do you want to come?"

Lady Jaye sighed. "No, I'm really beat. I want to go to bed."

"Really? I thought you said you needed something?"

"No, it's not a big deal. I can get it tomorrow after the proceedings." She then gave Scarlett a stare down that she hoped conveyed a 'back off' meaning.

Scarlett shook her head. "Fine. I'll see you two in the morning."

As they walked back to the hotel, Flint hesitantly reached for her hand. "Are you okay? You've been so distant all day."

Lady Jaye again struggled to keep her emotions in check. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about the proceedings tomorrow."

"I'm a little worried too. But I know you and Scarlett did everything you could." Flint stopped before they got to the lobby of the hotel. He caressed the side of her face. "So that's all that's bothering you? Just the proceedings? Because I'm also a little worried about how we left off last night."

This time she couldn't fight the tears that started to flow. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help it. She wiped at the wetness rolling down her cheek. "I know. I'm sorry about that."

"Do you want to go upstairs and talk? I can go to your room, or you can come to mine?"

She wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and just be with him. She wanted him to hold her and make love to her. But she knew he wasn't going to be satisfied with just that. And she didn't have the energy or desire that night to start any unpleasant conversations. Plus, it wasn't fair to him on the eve of the proceedings for him to be hit with such life changing news. So she kept her resolve.

She kissed him and then hugged him. "Dash, I want to, I really do, but I can't tonight."

He pulled away. "Damn it, Al, why not? We finally have a chance to be alone together. And I meant it when I said I want to talk. So if the thought of the hotel room intimidates you, we can take a walk, or get a drink or dessert at a café. Anything you want to do."

"I just want to go to my room. Alone." She hated herself when she saw the look of pain that crossed his face. But she knew it was really for the best. She wanted to reassure him that all was fine, however she couldn't go that far. She did though, want to make him feel a little better. "I'm tired, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. But I promise you, as soon as the proceedings are done, we will come back here, and hang out alone and talk, and do whatever. Right now I need to focus all my attention on my presentation."

He seemed satisfied with the explanation, and with one last, long lingering kiss they entered the hotel. His room was below hers, and when the elevator stopped at his floor, he hesitated. She thought he was going to ask her one last time to reconsider but instead he just said. "Alison, I love you."


	12. Chapter 12

Lady Jaye tossed and turned all night. When she did sleep, she had dreams of giving the presentation with a newborn in her arms. She was never so grateful for an early alarm. She got up and was hit with a severe vomiting attack. It was so bad that she was afraid that she might not be able to attend the proceedings. But eventually the dry heaves stopped. She was able to shower and get dressed, and she went down to the lobby early to try and grab something light to eat to hopefully further calm her stomach.

She exited the small café munching on a bagel, when she saw General Hawk. She walked over to him and shook his hand. "General, it's good to see you."

"I second that," Flint said, as he exited the elevator. He gave a quick smile to Lady Jaye before he shook Hawk's hand.

"Are you ready for this?" Hawk asked.

She wanted to answer that honestly she wasn't. Her nerves were threatening to get the best of her, which was probably the reason for her stronger nausea that morning. The idea of her then getting sick in front of a room full of Brass was stressing her out even more. So she seemed to be caught in a vicious cycle. But instead she slapped a smile on her face and answered, "Well, we are extremely prepared." Lady Jaye debated expanding further, but she figured Hawk should at least get the heads up that things might not go well. "However, the numbers are not going to lie."

Hawk nodded. "I expected as much. And you could only do so much with what you have. But I trust you to present a fair and detailed state of the Joe team."

"We won't let you down," Scarlett said as she joined the three of them. She too shook Hawk's hand and then they left the hotel.

"I'm parked down the street," Hawk said.

Flint did a double take. "You drove yourself?"

"Yes, I did. Every so often I do take advantage of a driver, like when I arrive late at night at the airport. But most of the other times, I am fully capable of getting myself from point A to point B."

Flint offered up the front seat, but both women climbed into the back. Hawk briefed them on what to expect that day, and then he and Flint got into a conversation about the generals he needed to meet with who may be on the review board.

Lady Jaye tuned them out. She laid her head back and rested her hand on her stomach. The bagel seemed to be settling her stomach down, and she hoped the short rest would help even more. She turned and saw Scarlett looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay, I think. But be prepared to take over my part if I suddenly go running out of there." Lady Jaye glanced at Flint who was still talking to Hawk. She lowered her voice. "I didn't tell him yet, so please don't say anything," she warned Scarlett.

Scarlett nodded. "Your secret is safe with me."

They pulled into the Pentagon's parking area, so Lady Jaye pushed all thoughts of the baby aside. They cleared security, and Hawk led them to the conference room where the proceedings began on time. While Hawk addressed the room, and ran through their introductions and list of qualifications, Lady Jaye fought off one last case of the nerves. But once she took the floor, her nervousness disappeared.

She and Scarlett ran through their presentation flawlessly. It took about an hour's time. Then they spent the next hour answering questions. A couple of times, the discussion became heated among the generals. She, and Scarlett, however, kept their composure. Even during one particularly grueling session where one of the generals doubted that Cobra had existed at all. He tried to make the point of an imaginary enemy as he ranted that the Joes had been a drain on the budget for far too long. Lady Jaye looked over at Flint who looked to be in a battle with himself to stay calm and quiet. Hawk had a hand on Flint's shoulder which was probably the only reason why the warrant officer was keeping his mouth shut. That and General Howe, who was once again in charge of the budget proceedings, appeared to give little credence to the rant.

Mercifully, the general wrapped up his diatribe, and their session wrapped up a few minutes later. Lady Jaye let out a sigh of relief as they were dismissed for a short recess. As she walked into the hallway she searched out Hawk. She wanted to get his review but he was in deep conversation with General Franks and Colonel Sharpe, two men she hadn't seen in a very long time. She went over to introduce herself as well, but she was pulled aside by an admiral with a series of easy questions. Shortly before the break was over, she excused herself to use the facilities. Once she exited the restroom she found Flint waiting for her. "You did good in there," he said.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

He smiled in return. "I bet that's a huge relief off your mind."

Lady Jaye forced herself to keep the smile on her face as she replied that it was. Yes, the fact that her part of the proceedings was over was a relief. But that only meant she now could focus on the other pressing concern in her life. But she was still glad she held off on telling Flint about her very likely pregnancy. At least he got to spend a few more hours blissfully unaware.

The break came to an end, and they took their seats. The rest of the morning went by fairly quickly, as Lady Jaye found several discussions fairly interesting. When they broke for lunch, Flint was sidetracked with networking with the various generals in the room. The idea of his promotion still unsettled her, especially with her news. But she was actually glad for the opportunity to avoid him for the hour, and not be forced to engage in meaningless conversations.

The afternoon session began, but unlike the morning one, it was long and very monotonous. Lady Jaye had to struggle to stay awake. The first two agenda items of the afternoon ran long, and she was afraid they were going to be forced to stay well past the scheduled quitting time. But luckily the general in charge of the proceedings decided to end the day after the second item was completed.

"Free at last," Scarlett commented as she stood from the desk.

Lady Jaye too was happy their portion of the proceedings was over. But her long day was really only beginning. She glanced over at Flint, who was happily chatting with yet another general, unaware how drastically his life was going to change that night. But despite the trepidation she felt, Lady Jaye knew she was ready to meet up with him, take a pregnancy test, and have them both find out the results.

The general shook Flint's hand and then left the room. Scarlett and Lady Jaye took that as their cue to walk over to him. Hawk then joined the three of them. "Great job all. We won't know for sure for probably a few more weeks when the budget is actually approved, but I've been hearing very positive feedback, so I am optimistic. I think this calls for a celebration. Come, I'm taking you out to dinner."

That derailed Lady Jaye's plans for the evening, but she couldn't see a way to gracefully bow out. Hawk hailed a cab, and a few minutes later they pulled in front of an Italian place that wasn't too far from their hotel. While they looked at the menu, Hawk ordered a bottle of wine, and a couple of appetizers.

Lady Jaye struggled with the menu, as she tried to decide what she wanted to order. The truth of the matter was that due to the stress of the proceedings, plus the idea that she still needed to confirm her pregnancy and then tell Flint about it had ruined her appetite. She settled on one of the less extravagant pasta dishes.

Once she ordered she turned her attention to the conversation at the table that she had been ignoring. She noticed that Scarlett was talking animatedly with Hawk, while Flint was looking at her with sadness. She smiled at him as she reached under the table to grab his hand. He gave her an enthusiastic squeeze in return.

The waiter brought the wine to the table, and after giving it to Hawk for a taste, he told the waiter to fill all the glasses. Lady Jaye went to protest, but she realized she didn't have a plausible excuse why she wouldn't be drinking. As she reached for her glass, Scarlett kicked her under the table. Lady Jaye shot her a look.

Hawk toasted the Joes and their presentation, and Lady Jaye faked drinking from her glass while the others did. The waiter then returned with the antipasto, and a plate of fried calamari. Lady Jaye stared at the appetizers a moment as she wondered if she was allowed to eat the calamari. She thought she remembered hearing some kind of report that for whatever reason fish was bad for pregnant women, but she had no idea what the specifics were. In fact, she realized she had no idea what the rules were for pregnancy. And then she wondered if she was overreacting, as she hadn't even confirmed her potential pregnancy yet.

She decided to be on the safe side, and just fill her plate with some of the antipasto, as she tried to pay attention again to the conversation at the table. Luckily, her small gesture to Flint seemed to improve his mood, so he was now chatting happily with Hawk.

She desperately wanted to leave and go back to the hotel. She was tired of waiting. She wanted nothing more than to stop at one of the drug stores to pick up a pregnancy test. At least then she would know for sure. And then she was going to admit to Flint what had been bothering her the last couple of days, regardless of what the results were.

She continued to mull over the potential outcomes, and what it meant for her future. She half paid attention to the talk going on around her, until one question from Scarlett caught her attention. "I overheard General Franks say the paperwork was in the works for your return to the Joe team."

Lady Jaye gasped and then grinned. For the first time in recent memory, she felt a glimmer of hope for her career. If what she suspected was true, than having Hawk back in charge of the Joe team would greatly improve her future chances. "You're coming back?"

Hawk laughed. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I wouldn't start printing out the transfer requests just yet. However, from what I understand they're holding firm to the idea that my stay here is temporary. So is General Bradshaw that bad?"

Lady Jaye and Scarlett simultaneously said 'Yes' while Flint said 'No'. Hawk let out another laugh. "This sounds like we need another bottle of wine."

Lady Jaye looked at her full glass and casually passed it over to Scarlett. The rest of the dinner passed quickly, and once they were done, Hawk flagged for the waitress to bring the bill. Lady Jaye excused herself from the table. She made her way to the bathroom, with Scarlett close behind her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I actually just need to pee."

"Okay, wait. I got you a present," Scarlett said as she pulled out a pregnancy test from her purse. "I got it last night. I was going to give it to you after the proceedings were over, but Hawk's dinner plans got in the way."

"Are you nuts? You expect me to take that now?"

"Based on the three words you have said throughout dinner, I'm guessing it's all you can think about. Take the test. It may be negative and then you can pound the glass of wine you've been staring at all night."

"I really doubt it. So what if it's positive? Am I supposed to slap a smile on my face and go out there to chat with Hawk while continuing to avoid the questions and concerns from the father of my child?"

"No, in that case, I'll make the excuse that you're not feeling well. I'll then offer to take Hawk out for a drink, to give you time to finally talk to Flint alone."

Lady Jaye had to admit, it did sound like a good plan. "Fine." She grabbed the box and walked into one of the stalls. She followed the instructions and within a minute she had the answer she had been expecting. The stick in her hand showed her two bright blue lines. Despite the fact that she had been nearly certain she was pregnant, seeing the proof in her hand took her breath away. The thought that she was going to be a mother ran through her head a number of times. At first the idea scared her, but the more she repeated the mantra, the fear was joined by a sense of excitement. She continued to stare at the stick contemplating her impending motherhood until there was a knock on the door. "Alison, it's been nearly five minutes. Are you okay?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Shana, enjoy your drink with Hawk. And you can start with my glass of wine. I'm officially pregnant."

Once she exited the stall she was surprised to find Scarlett still in the bathroom. Scarlett pulled her close for a hug. "It's going to be okay."

Lady Jaye relaxed into her friends arms and let the tears that she had kept bottled up flow. "I'm trying to convince myself of that fact. I'm excited, but terrified at the same time."

Scarlett backed off enough so she could look at her. She kept her hands on her shoulders. "I know this isn't exactly how you planned, but look at the big picture. You're starting a family with the man you love. There are some that might be a little jealous of that." Scarlett then let out a choked sob, which brought on a fresh wave of tears for Lady Jaye. The two hugged and cried on each other's shoulders.

"Are you two okay?"

Lady Jaye broke apart from Scarlett and turned to see an older lady looking at them with concern. She wiped at her eyes as she realized what a scene they must have made. "Thanks for asking, but we're fine."

"She just found out that she's pregnant!" Scarlett added with a grin.

The lady smiled. "That's wonderful news, congratulations."

Once the woman entered the stall, Lady Jaye turned towards Scarlett. "You are nuts," she whispered. "Dash is going to be thrilled when he finds out that some random woman in the ladies room found out about his baby before he did."

"I guess that means you have no choice but to tell him as soon as you can. I can't be responsible for whom else I spill the beans too. Give me five minutes to convince Hawk to leave. And, Alison, I meant what I said that this is good news. I know how much Dash loves you, and he's going to love the baby just as much. Everything else will work itself out." Scarlett walked out, and Lady Jaye tried to compose herself. As she looked in the mirror, she hoped Shana was right.

* * *

For as good as the day had gone, Flint was pretty miserable. He thought that once the proceedings were done and they had gotten the glowing review from Hawk that Lady Jaye would have snapped out of her funk. But instead, she seemed worse throughout dinner. Flint was now convinced that his fears of the last couple of days were coming true. That she was indeed looking to end things with him.

Hawk turned towards the restrooms that the two women had disappeared into a few minutes earlier. "Do you ever wonder why they have to go as a group to the bathroom?"

 _This time, I'm sure it's so she could get some last minute pointers from Red on how to best go about dumping me,_ Flint thought. Instead he said as flippantly as possible, "It's one of society's greatest mysteries."

Hawk nodded and thankfully, remained silent. Flint had been afraid that Hawk was going to ask him how his personal life post General Bradshaw was going, but it appeared the general meant it when he said he didn't want to know.

Scarlett finally came out of the bathroom, but Lady Jaye remained behind. "Hey, I'm sorry. Jaye's not feeling well, she thinks it might have been what she had for lunch."

Flint was concerned. Maybe he read the whole evening wrong. She had mentioned the other night that she had been feeling sick for a while.

But then Scarlett continued. "Flint, you don't mind waiting on her, while I take a Hawk out for a drink? We still have a lot to catch up on."

Based on that Flint knew his initial impression was correct. Scarlett had been sent out to get rid of Hawk, so Lady Jaye could talk to him. "Of course I don't mind. You two have a good time."

Flint shook Hawk's hand and told him it had been good to see him. Scarlett then gave Flint a quick kiss on the cheek as she subtly pushed Lady Jaye's wine glass toward him. "Drink it. You're going to need it," she whispered.

The two then left and Flint was alone with his thoughts. Scarlett's advice was like the final nail in the coffin. He wondered how long it would take for Lady Jaye to come out of the bathroom to deliver her bad news. He took Scarlett's advice, and had a healthy sip. While he continued to wait, he ran through the various breakup rebuttals he had come up with the previous night after Lady Jaye had sent him to his room alone.

His hand reached into his jacket pocket to reassure himself that the ring box was still in there. His grand plan had been derailed the day before, but he still kept it on him in case an appropriate moment arrived. But now it seemed silly to have it, since Lady Jaye was on the verge of ending things. If he pulled out the ring now, he was sure she would turn him down. The only thing he could hope for is that she gave him the opportunity to talk to her to hopefully change her mind.

Just when he had reached the point that he decided he needed to check up on her, the bathroom door opened. She came out looking miserable, and his heart went out to her. He hated to see her in any kind of pain, especially if he was the cause of it. He polished off the glass of wine, and then went to her side. "Do you want me to call a cab?"

"Yes, I think that's a good idea."

Flint spoke to the maître d, and within a couple of minutes a cab appeared at the front door. He opened the door for her and climbed in after her. He told the cabby the name of the hotel, and they were on their way. Lady Jaye spent the whole time in silence, staring out the window. He reached for her hand and was happy when she took it.

Even with the traffic, it only took a few minutes to reach the hotel. Once in the lobby, Lady Jaye stopped. "I want to go to my room to change. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to meet me there after you change as well?"

Flint was ready to get out of his Class A's but he didn't want to delay the inevitable any longer. Besides, if their situation wasn't as dire as he thought it was, there was still a slim chance he could strip out of his uniform in her room. "No, I'll just come up with you."

They entered her room and he watched her begin to undress as he took off his jacket. If this had been a normal situation for them, he would have been helping her strip out of her clothes from the moment they entered the elevator. But instead, he was standing there in complete awkwardness. Throwing caution to the wind, he decided to see just how far their relationship had deteriorated.

He kissed her as he began to unbutton her blouse. She kissed him back, and he took it as a good sign until she stopped him. "Dash, wait. I have to tell you something first."

He put his hand on her lips. If she was preparing to sever their ties, he was not going to go down without a fight. "Before you say anything, let me talk. First off, I love you. I honestly believe I fell in love with you the day I first met you and it's only grown deeper since. Secondly, I know that the last few weeks have been hard on you, and a big part of that is my fault. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I have heard everything you've said to me the last few days. I'm sorry if it's felt like I've only used you for my own needs, because that was not what I intended. I've missed being with you, so when those opportunities presented itself I got carried away. I hope I never hurt you."

Lady Jaye's eyes filled with tears, but she shook her head. Flint brought his thumb to her cheek and wiped away the wetness. "You also said you were afraid that we have no future together. That thought terrifies me. I still don't know what's coming next with the Joes, or my career. I can live with being transferred, I could even live with being fired, but I don't want to live without you. The one thing that has never changed in my future plans is wanting you by my side. So whatever I need to do to make sure we stay together, I am willing to do it."

Lady Jaye was speechless for several moments. When she did speak her voice caught. "Do you really mean all that?"

"Yes. All I thought about the last two nights was how I didn't want to lose you."

She let out a choked sob. "Oh, Dash. You're not losing me. If anything, you're going to be stuck with me from now on. Dashiell Faireborn, you're going to be a father. I'm pregnant."

It was such the opposite of what his mind had been contemplating, that it took a few minutes to process the information. He took a few stumbling steps towards her bed and sat at the edge. Lady Jaye apparently misread his silence. "I don't blame you if you're reconsidering whether me breaking up with you is bad news."

"No, I'm not, it's just," Flint stuttered as he tried to string together a coherent train of thought. And since he had been so hung up on the idea of her ending things, he couldn't let it go. "So you don't hate me?"

Lady Jaye laughed. She took a seat next to him. "I have to be honest that I'm not really thrilled with you and your role in creating this life changing moment growing inside of me, but other than that, no I don't hate you."

"How long have you known?"

"Scarlett clued me in yesterday morning that maybe my sickness that I've been complaining about wasn't due to food poisoning, or a virus. But I didn't know semi-officially until about an hour ago."

"So this explains why you've been so distant the last couple of days."

Lady Jaye sighed. "Yes. I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure, and I didn't want to know for sure until our presentation was over. Hawk asking us to dinner kind of threw my plans off. I'm sure he thinks there is something wrong with me as well."

"I bet one day in the future, we'll have another dinner where we'll tell him and have a good laugh about it."

"I hope one day I can look back at this and laugh. Right now I'll take just not being terrified."

Flint wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "We're going to get through this. Alison, like I said, I have given a lot of thought about our future together." He stopped just short of pulling out the ring. One life changing announcement was enough for the evening. And now that he knew she wasn't leaving him, he could find a time to propose in the right way. "And how I do want to start a family."

"I want that too," Lady Jaye said quietly. "It's just now is insanely bad timing."

"But is it? You spent most of today telling the Bigwigs that all signs point to Cobra going into hiding. Maybe they'll come back, maybe they won't. We've spent the last couple of years talking about a time when Cobra was defeated, and we could focus on our personal life. Maybe that time is now. Maybe this is the wakeup call we needed to start figuring out a life beyond the Joes. I'm not totally opposed to looking for the dream house with the white picket fence that is the perfect size for our child and a dog or two."

Lady Jaye pulled away from him. "That's cute. You make it sound so happy and easy. But could you just walk away from the Joe team?"

"For you, I would," Flint answered honestly.

Lady Jaye's shoulders sagged. "That really means a lot to me. I wish I could be so selfless."

Flint was hit with a terrible thought. "Alison, are you thinking about not having this baby?"

She turned away from him. "I admit the thought crossed my mind. I spent the ride over yesterday thinking long and hard about all my options and what I want. I wasn't joking earlier about being terrified. Not only am I afraid what this is going to do to my life on the Joe team, but I have no idea how to raise a baby. I didn't grow up like you, surrounded by brothers, sisters and cousins. I feel like I'm totally out of my league.

"But still, despite all that, I kept going back to how much I love you, and how I already love the idea of having our baby. So the one thing I did decide, and I hope I don't end up regretting it, is that I am keeping the baby."

Flint felt such a sense of relief. She was right that there was going to be a major upheaval in their lives in the coming months. And there were probably going to be very painful repercussions as far as their Army careers went. But at the moment, Flint didn't care about that. The idea that his son or daughter was going to be brought into the world in a few months was outweighing any other negative consequences. He grabbed her hands. "You're not going to regret it. We may be in for a hell of a ride the next few weeks, and I don't know where we'll be at the end of it. But the only thing that matters now is you, me, and Junior."

Lady Jaye grinned. Her hand went to her abdomen. "Junior? That's the best nickname you could come up with? What if it's a girl?"

Flint matched her grin. It was the first time he had seen her smile in days. "I'm open to the name Alison Junior."

That time he made her laugh. "Well, that's good to know. But we're going to need to have a long talk before I agree to name anyone Junior."

Flint smiled again but his mind reeled as he began to comprehend that what they were talking about wasn't a joke. He was going to be a father. A fact that he felt he was currently ill prepared for. Lady Jaye must have picked up on his thoughts. She walked towards him. "You look like you might need a few minutes alone to process all of this. I have to use the facilities anyway, and I want to get ready for bed. I'd like you to stay with me tonight."

"I want that too," he replied. He pulled her close for a kiss before she went into the bathroom.

Once the door closed behind her, Flint exhaled sharply. Her invitation was enough to clear his mind. He knew he was probably going to spend a sleepless night thinking about the future, but at the moment all he was focused on was being alone with her. He thought about going up to his room, but he didn't need to. Instead, he stripped out of his uniform and waited for her to emerge.

Once she did, he couldn't help but stare at her. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt, which was not exactly the sexiest thing she had ever worn. But the fact that she had invited him to stay which meant she wanted him made the moment very erotic for him.

She smoothed out her shirt as she looked down at it. "I'm sorry that I didn't pack anything more romantic."

He went towards her and pulled her close to him. "It's fine. You look beautiful. I really want to make love to you, if that's okay."

She gave him a nervous smile. "Well, the good news is that we don't have to worry about using protection."

"True. But that's not what I was concerned about. I want to make sure you want to. And that I'm not going to hurt you."

She kissed him and then slowly pulled away. "You're not going to hurt me. And I do want you too."

That was all the encouragement Flint needed. He took it slow as not only had it been a long time since they could take their time and enjoy their lovemaking, but he wasn't sure when they would get the opportunity again.

Once it was over, they lay together in the bed, Lady Jaye pressed against him. Within moments she was sound asleep. As Flint listened to her breathing heavily in his arms, he wondered how she could sleep so soundly when faced with such life changing news. But he remembered that she had known for about thirty six hours, and had a head start in coming to grips with it.

There had been a time or two in his past that he had envisioned what the moment would be like when he would learn he was going to be a father. He had to admit that the reality paled to his imaginings. The night the he had bought the engagement ring for Lady Jaye he had laid awake trying to come up with the perfect scenario to propose to her. He had then moved on to picturing what the future would be like for them. And he had assumed that kids would be part of their life. But he had figured that would come at a point when they had long since moved on from their Joe careers, were married and settled in a house, and were leading a stable life together.

The fact that the timetable had been pushed up was worrisome to him. He was old-fashioned enough to be bothered by the fact that they weren't married. He kicked himself for waiting so long, and second guessed his decision to postpone his proposal. He knew that a ring on her finger wouldn't change the feelings they felt for each other, but he still would have liked to have had a more legal bond between the two of them before a child was brought into the picture. But that was something that could be remedied. Flint may have lost the chance of the perfect surprise proposal, but he knew for a fact that he wanted the two of them to be married before the baby was born.

But how they were going to pull that off while in their current positions on the Joe team was a problem. There was the glimmer of hope that Hawk was going to come back, but Flint wondered if that would actually help them. Hawk had always been fine with ignoring rule infractions as long as they didn't interfere with the basic running of the Joe team. Obviously they would have to make major lifestyle changes to accommodate the raising of a child, but as long as the two of them worked together he figured they could still be useful members of the Joe team.

So maybe Hawk would allow it. But he wondered if that was just a pipe dream. Any change in family status needed to be reported to Personnel. Which meant a paper trail that might catch the attention of others outside of the Joe world. It was something that he would definitely need to sit down with Hawk to discuss and get guidance on.

But that still left the problem of what to do in the meantime. They still had to go back and deal with General Bradshaw. And Flint was pretty confident that General Bradshaw would not be as open to the idea of working with them as Hawk would. So their careers could possibly be over before Hawk ever came back to Headquarters.

Lady Jaye shifted in her sleep, and pulled out of his grasp. He rubbed his hand down her shoulder and she settled back down. He realized in that moment that if the worst did happen, and he lost his Joe career, he would be okay with it as long as he still had her and the baby she would bring into the world.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews, but especially for the last chapter. I consider it one of the crucial chapters, and it was important to me to make sure I got it "right". It had gone through quite a few major and minor edits until I was happy with it. Even after I considered it a finished draft, and my beta approved, I still had to refrain from from tweaking it too much. So I've been very happy to see that there were those out there that enjoyed reading it.

Flint didn't think he was going to fall asleep that night, but sometime in the wee hours of the morning he did. He woke up when Lady Jaye rose from the bed. He turned to look at the clock and was happy to see they still had a couple of hours before their trip home.

Lady Jaye returned, and with a groan she laid back down in the bed. "Are you okay?" Flint asked her with a kiss.

"Yeah. I'm still pretty nauseous but it's actually not as bad it has been the last couple of days."

Flint nodded and he rubbed her arm. He hated forcing her to talk when she was feeling so bad, but they had to decide what they were going to do before they left DC. "I spent a lot of last night thinking about this and I want to reiterate how you are not going to go through this alone. I'm here for you, and I am prepared to own up to my part in this, and receive whatever punishment comes my way."

"That's very noble of you. But before you go back to HQ and confess your sins to the general, can you give some thought to what I want?"

"Of course. That's why I'm glad we have some time to talk. I want us to present a unified front to the general."

Lady Jaye sighed. "Let me set that scene for you. Later today we fly back to HQ. We march hand in hand to General Bradshaw's office where I tell him my news. Technically, you should be the one disciplined, but it's up to the CO. Who do you think he's going to punish, you, his boy wonder? I doubt it. So he slaps me with discharge papers so fast, I don't have time to even collect my things. While I'm booted out on the street trying to read the fine print on the paperwork, he sticks a cigar in your mouth, congratulates you on your impending fatherhood and makes the comment that now that he's gotten rid of that pesky woman from your life, your career is golden."

Flint opened his mouth to argue the point, but he quickly shut it. Her example was extreme to say the least, but she probably wasn't that far from the mark. The only part he disagreed with is that he doubted he would walk away unscathed. Either way, though, her career was going to be impacted, and therefore he needed to let her call the shots. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't want to tell him."

Flint sighed and shook his head. "How are we going to hide this? I'm sure at some point people are going to notice you have a growing belly."

"But that won't be for weeks, maybe months, if even at all. There's always a risk of a miscarriage."

"Jesus, Al, that's a hell of a morbid thought."

"Maybe, but it's also a practical one. Believe me, even the idea of it upsets me. I meant what I said that I really want this baby. But I still think we don't need to sacrifice our careers until we're sure there's a reason to do so."

Flint shook his head. "I don't like it, but you're right that it's the most practical approach. I'm going to be an optimist and assume all goes well. Therefore we still need to prepare ourselves for a very unpleasant conversation with General Bradshaw."

"This time I'm going to be the optimist. You heard Hawk. He really is coming back. So General Bradshaw may be gone by the time we need to come clean."

"We can't count on that. Hawk also said it wasn't a done deal yet. And even if it is, do you think he would take the news any better? He too may throw us off the team."

"You're right, he might. But I still think we have a better chance with him. In the meantime, in spite of how hard it has been, we have to keep up the ruse of not being together. It's not a crime under military law for me to be pregnant. It's only if I admit that it's yours. We've actually done a good job the last few weeks of convincing everyone that it's over between us, so there's enough plausible deniability."

"No, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life denying I fathered this child. Not only do I want to be an active part of this, but I won't abandon the two of you like that."

Lady Jaye put her hand on his chest. "It's a terrible scenario and I hope it won't come to that. Maybe it's just a pipe dream I have that I think that somehow this can all work out okay. But there are so many unknowns right now. I just want to use the next few weeks to try to figure out how we can save both our careers and our family."

Flint nodded. "Okay, on one condition. You find a way to be put on limited duty. I don't want you doing anything that might endanger the baby."

"Agreed. I'm going to talk to Lifeline and let him know. I also want to find a private OB-Gyn and get checked out. I'm not even sure how far along I am."

"I was going to ask you if you knew."

"No. Unfortunately, I thought of a couple of times over the last few weeks when we were stupid and thought we could get away with playing the odds. "

Flint too replayed their recent sexual past. She was right, they had gotten careless, especially since General Bradshaw's arrival. He really should have known better, and not have let his lust for her override his common sense. One time in particular stood out in his mind. "Oh God. Do you think it happened when we were in my car? I may not be able to look at it the same way ever again."

Lady Jaye laughed which was good to see. "I don't think so. I have a feeling that it had happened earlier than that."

Flint's phone rang. He figured it was the heads up telling them that their transport back was on schedule, but instead it was Breaker calling to tell them they had a reprieve. "The Rawhides exercise got delayed," Flint informed Lady Jaye as he hung up the phone. "They won't be ready to return until tomorrow. So, since the budget didn't allow for two round trips of the Tomahawk, we get a bonus day in DC."

"Fine by me," Lady Jaye replied. "I'm in no hurry to head back."

"So what do you want to do?"

"First off, we should tell Scarlett not to pack her bags. Then, I'd like to try and find a clinic to get an official pregnancy test. But after that, I'm open to suggestions."

"Okay, I'm going to head back to my room to shower and check in with HQ. Talk to Scarlett, and then we'll work on the clinic. Can I come with you, or is this a women only thing?"

Lady Jaye smiled. "No, you're not getting off that easily. This is our baby's first doctor's appointment. I want you there."

As Flint's mind flashed through images of future visits to the doctor, it hammered home again the reality of the situation.

* * *

Lady Jaye knocked on Scarlett's door. She answered a few seconds later and went to grab her suitcase. "I was just getting ready to call you. Aren't we running late?"

Lady Jaye shook her head as she entered Scarlett's room. "Actually, no. We're not leaving until tomorrow. We have to wait for the Rawhides to finish their exercise."

"Oh, okay," Scarlett replied. "I'm glad I didn't check out yet." She sat down on her bed and patted the space next to her. "Since we have the time now to talk, how did it go last night?"

Lady Jaye flashed her a nervous smile. "Well, the news definitely shocked him. But considering that he didn't faint or dump me, I'd say it went fairly well."

"Come on, he had to have a bigger reaction than that? Is he happy?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. The poor guy was so concerned that I was going to end our relationship, that I think a part of him was relieved to find out that I was "only" pregnant. And he made it quite clear that I wasn't going to go through it alone. He definitely seems ready to take on the challenge of raising a baby, but I don't know if I could qualify his response as being happy."

"I'm sure he is. It's just a lot of to take in. And there are a lot of factors in play with the Joe team. Did you too decide what you are going to do about that?" Scarlett asked.

"Right now, we're going to keep quiet about it. That, he's not happy about that. He's ready to throw himself on the sword and take whatever repercussions are heading our way."

"I have to say, I agree with him. I don't see how keeping quiet is going to get you out of the situation."

"Because we don't know what's coming down the road. Hawk confirmed last night that he should be coming back. Therefore, confessing right now to General Bradshaw seems awfully premature. Plus there are so many other unknowns. The Joe team could disband. Either one of us could receive a transfer. I could lose the baby, etc., etc. Those are all reasons to keep quiet and see how it all plays out."

"And what if none of those scenarios happen?"

"I don't know. Maybe I admit I'm pregnant, but I refuse to name the father. Or I say it was from an unfortunate one night stand. Which of course isn't going to sit well with Flint."

"I can understand that."

"I can too. And I love him even more that he is willing to do the right thing and stand by me. But we've done too much good over the last three years to become another casualty of the Army's fraternization rules."

Scarlett frowned at her, and Lady Jaye continued. "Please don't lecture me."

Scarlett wiped at her eyes. "How can I? Until a few weeks ago, I was breaking the same rules that you are. I'm just afraid that this isn't going to end well for you."

"That's what scares me too. I know that we have no one to blame for ourselves. And I feel awful that I'm bringing a child into this fucked up situation. But I'm really trying to make the best of a bad situation. Of course Flint wants to do the right thing, and admit our wrongdoing. But I can't let him do that. I could tell you that I'm trying to be noble by trying to protect Flint from himself, as there is a very good chance that he would take the brunt of the punishment. But the truth is, I'm also trying to protect myself. I have a very bad feeling that if General Bradshaw finds out about us, I will be the one to receive the brunt of the punishment. After everything that we have done to protect the world from Cobra to end up with nothing but a dishonorable discharge, is quite the kick to the gut. So I know another game of deception isn't the answer, but while our child is still just an unborn baby growing inside of me, it's the best option I have at the moment."

Scarlett pulled her close to hug her. "Alison, I know your career means a lot to you. And I'm not advocating throwing away everything you've achieved up to this point. But it's still just a job. So if push comes to shove, I hope you remember there are more important things in life, such as family."

Lady Jaye pulled away and patted Scarlett's leg. "I will remember that. I know I have a lot to think about and consider, so I'm trying to take everything one step at a time. The next being a visit to the Planned Parenthood. I know it's probably not how you might have envisioned spending a free day in Washington, but do you want to come with us?"

Scarlett shrugged her head. "Sure, why not? I thought today was only going to be a travel day, so it's not like I have any other exciting plans. Let me just change out of my uniform. But will we at least get lunch afterwards?"

Lady Jaye grinned. "Of course. And we might be able to squeeze in a little shopping."

"Sounds like a plan."

Scarlett turned towards her suitcase but Lady Jaye reached out and grabbed her. "Shana, wait. I just want to say thank you for everything. I really appreciate how you've been here for me the last few days, and I hope you will continue to help me out."

Scarlett's face took on a brief funny look but then it disappeared. She opened her arms. "Of course I will."

* * *

Scarlett sat in the clinic as she flipped through her second magazine of the morning. They had arrived to a waiting room full of people, and the receptionist cautioned Lady Jaye that they were in for a long wait. Lady Jaye had grimaced and looked to the two of them for guidance. Flint had insisted that he didn't care how long it would take, and once Scarlett reassured Lady Jaye that she too was fine with hanging out, Lady Jaye put her name in.

Flint and Lady Jaye found two seats together, but Scarlett was forced to sit across the room from them. Lady Jaye again looked at her apologetically, but Scarlett waved her off. It was going to be a long and boring end to the morning, but she still felt it was better than being on a plane heading back to HQ.

Scarlett had grabbed a magazine and began to flip through it, but she had no interest in actually reading the articles. Instead she surreptitiously watched her two friends. Flint had his arm around Lady Jaye as she rested her head against his chest. Scarlett felt a pang of jealousy. Not necessarily for the situation they currently found themselves in. Despite her strong desire to have children one day, to have it happen in such an unexpected way was not how she wanted her future to play out. But she was envious of the strong love and devotion the two felt for each other.

There had been a point when she thought she had felt and found that same level of love, but she had learned so cruelly a few weeks prior that she had been mistaken. She briefly wondered how Duke would have reacted if hers and Lady Jaye's situation had been reversed. There was a time that she would have had no doubt that Duke would have reacted with the same level of commitment that Flint was showing Lady Jaye, but now she knew that he would have just found a cowardly way to abandon her.

Scarlett swallowed against the growing lump in her throat, and once again grew annoyed with herself over her reaction. She thought she had finally moved past the grieving portion of her break-up, but apparently it was still an open wound. The last thing she wanted was to break down in front of her friends and a room full of strangers, so she rose from her chair. She told Flint and Lady Jaye that she needed to make a couple of calls, and then she went outside into the parking lot.

The fresh air helped calm her down. "Okay, O'Hara, it's time to get a grip," she said to herself.

Lady Jaye and Flint weren't the only ones that had spent the previous night contemplating their future. Scarlett had enjoyed the time spent with Hawk, as they chatted over the post-dinner drinks, and she had returned to her hotel room in a very upbeat mood. The stress of the presentation was behind her, and she agreed with the assessment that it had gone well. Plus the idea that Hawk may resume command of the Joe team filled her with a sense of optimism for the future.

But then reality took hold as she tried to determine what exactly the best outcome was for her. If Hawk did return, would life on the Joe team just return to normal? And what defined normal? Would Duke decide that with Hawk back in charge it was okay to get back together? And if he did is that what she truly wanted?

Her first instinct had been to answer, yes, she would take him back. Because underneath all the hurt and anger and disappointment she knew she still loved Duke. Loving Conrad had become a part of her nature, practically from the first day she met him. So she allowed herself a few moments to daydream about a future where she gets her happy ended. She envisioned a scene where they attend a party at the Faireborn's house, Duke holding the son Flint is sure to have, as Scarlett talks to him about their own future children. In this vision, everyone is laughing and happy because life is carefree and perfect.

And completely unrealistic.

With that thought, she sat heavily on the hotel bed. She did hope that her friends were in the process of securing that kind of future for themselves. Lady Jaye had admitted that she too had little hope for the future of her relationship, so Scarlett knew that they had some issues that they needed to work out. Not that Lady Jaye had confided in her what her latest relationship woes were, but Scarlett had seen enough troubled looks and slammed doors from her friend to know that things weren't exactly rosy between Lady Jaye and Flint. She hoped that those issues were superficial and minor enough that the idea of a baby would bring them back together.

But she didn't hold out the same hope for herself. That thought made her laugh as she realized how melodramatic she was being. Just because her relationship didn't work out with Duke, didn't mean that she would never find happiness elsewhere. In fact, an opportunity had presented itself the previous week. It was still in the early stages, and far from a guarantee, which was good because Scarlett needed to take some time to convince herself she was ready to pursue something so life changing. Up until this trip to DC, she felt that she wasn't ready to upend her life, but the last couple of days made her realize she might be ready for something new.

And to accomplish that, she needed to officially close the chapter on Conrad 'Duke' Hauser. She made the decision that when she returned to HQ that she was going to have a good heart to heart talk with him. Regardless of the path her life was going to follow, she couldn't spend the rest of her G.I. Joe career being resentful of the First Sergeant.

For the first time in weeks she had fallen asleep content. She even woke up that morning still confident with her decision. It was only after Lady Jaye knocked on her door and informed her of their delayed return that she began to falter. Scarlett had begun to formulate the speech she was going to say to Duke that she hoped would be accomplished as soon as she returned to HQ. Knowing that she had another night to sleep on her decision unhinged her.

The next mistake was deciding to accompany Flint and Lady Jaye to Planned Parenthood. She hated to admit it, but she was jealous of the love and affection that Flint had shown Lady Jaye. She may have accepted the decision to close the door on a past love, but that was while she had been sitting alone in a hotel room. Watching her two friends that had obviously not only reconciled, but had made the commitment to take on the next phase of their life together, erased a lot of the good will she had tried to formulate towards Duke.

It was, though, enough to convince her she was definitely ready for a change. The new offer may not pan out, but she wanted to at least pursue it. It would provide a different career path, and more importantly, a change in scenery. She needed to not only find satisfaction in her job again, but in life in general. Eventually she hoped that she too would find the right man to spend the rest of her life with raising a family, and that was not going to happen while she was mired in regrets.

Once Scarlett was sure she had regained control of her emotions, she made her way back inside. But before she entered the Planned Parenthood office, she made a couple of phone calls to old friends that she knew were in town. She made plans for an impromptu get together that evening. She smiled as she hung up the phone. She was glad that she was taking advantage of the extra night in DC, while she would give her friends a night alone that she was sure they both desperately wanted and needed.

The waiting room wasn't nearly as crowded when she returned, and she was able to take a seat next to Flint. The receptionist called Lady Jaye's name shortly thereafter, and Scarlett watched the two of them walk into the back hand in hand. Scarlett smiled at her friends and wished them luck. She then cleared away her thoughts and focused on the magazine.

Some time later the two emerged, Lady Jaye looking distant, and Flint blissfully happy. Scarlett wondered if maybe they had gotten the news that it was all a false alarm. But then Flint waved the paper in his hand. "It's official. Ready or not, we're going to be parents!"

Lady Jaye looked at him, and with a roll of her eyes she shook her head. But then he swept her into his arms, and as she hugged him she too broke into a grin. It was a sweet scene, and a couple of people in the waiting room broke out into a subdued applause.

Yep, Scarlett thought to herself. She definitely was jealous.


	14. Chapter 14

Lady Jaye grabbed Flint's hand as they walked out of the clinic. He still had on the large grin that formed the moment they received the positive test results. Once again she wished she could be as blissfully happy over the news as he was. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

Her stomach growled in response. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Good, I'm starving. Red, you want to join us for lunch?"

"Sure," Scarlett replied with a forced smile.

Lady Jaye glanced back at her friend, as the three walked down the street in search of a restaurant. Scarlett had been very subdued as they left the clinic, and Lady Jaye once again felt guilty for dragging her along. She hoped that once they sat down to eat she could talk to Scarlett to find out what was bothering her.

However, once they found a sports bar and sat down, it quickly became apparent that no one wanted to discuss any of the heavier topics that was weighing on their minds. It was a Saturday afternoon, and all of the televisions in the bar were turned to the multitude of college football games being played. For obvious reasons, Bryn Mawr didn't have a football team, so Lady Jaye had never been a big fan of the popular college sports. Although, the last couple of years she had adopted Flint's Kansas State when she needed a team to root for.

Flint cocked his beer towards one of the TV. "We have a tough game later today, but I have all the faith in my boys."

"You're delusional if you honestly think this is their year," Scarlett said with a laugh.

Lady Jaye put her hand on Flint's shoulder. "I too think they have a shot. Their quarterback is supposed to be really good." It was a tidbit she had picked up a few weeks prior during the opening game of the season. It had been one of a series of slow nights on base, so the majority of the Joes had gathered in the rec room. It had been a fun evening as many of the Joes were very passionate of whatever team they were partial too. She realized that had been the weekend before General Bradshaw had arrived. It had been less than a month prior, and it was amazing at all that had occurred in that short time period.

"True," Scarlett continued. "But I can name at least a dozen that are better than him. As painful as this is for me to admit, I really think Alabama is going to win it all."

Flint and Scarlett continued their football talk, while Lady Jaye just sat back and listened. She couldn't shake the image of the Joes together in the rec room. They had been so relaxed and happy, unaware of the changes that were coming. She couldn't remember exactly what she and Flint had done the rest of that day, but she was sure it involved at least sharing a meal and a bed together. It was also surreal to think she had already been pregnant at that time.

And for the first time in recent weeks, thinking about the past didn't fill her with sadness. Yes, a lot had changed the last few weeks, but it seemed like things were finally changing for the better. She imagined the kickoff to the next football year, Flint holding their infant in his arms as he began to explain the nuisances of football. The exact details were fuzzy, since she had no idea where she would be living, and if she was still going to be gainfully employed, but the fact that she and Flint would be united in building their future together gave her a sense of optimism.

Once lunch was over, Lady Jaye let out a yawn. "Sorry, but I'm beat. I think I just want to head back to the hotel."

Flint wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Your wish is my command. Shana, are you coming too?"

Scarlett shook her head. "I think I'm going to take advantage of this beautiful day, maybe walk around by the monuments."

"Okay, but call us when you get back. We can talk about dinner then."

"Go on and make your own plans. I reached out to a couple of old friends that I'm going to meet with later."

Flint nodded. "Just check in with us before the end of the day."

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad. And I'll make sure to be home by curfew."

The two then started the trek back to the hotel. Lady Jaye wondered if Scarlett did in fact have some old friends she was meeting that night, or if she was trying to make herself scarce. She hoped that wasn't the case, but Lady Jaye was glad for the chance to spend the rest of the day alone with Flint.

Once they walked into her hotel room, Lady Jaye said. "You don't have to hang out with me, if you too want to check out the sights. I'd hate for you to waste the afternoon away."

"No, it's fine. To be honest I'm exhausted, and a nap right now sounds great."

The two climbed into bed, and Lady Jaye with a smile wondered if a nap was truly on Flint's mind. It turned out it was, as he was asleep within moments. She realized that he had probably had a very sleepless night contemplating the idea of the baby. She was glad though, that based on his behavior that morning, that he must have come to the conclusion that it was a good thing.

She rolled over to her side so she could study him. She loved him, and his positive reaction to her news only deepened the emotion. It had been less than seventy two hours earlier when she was contemplating ending things with him, but she knew now it was her hormones taking a bad situation and making it worse. She wasn't naïve to believe that her problems were over, as life at HQ hadn't changed. But as long as she knew that Flint was going to be on her side, she could deal with the hardships.

Which meant she was a far cry from the brash independent woman she was when she first joined the Joe team. She had grown up in an opulent lifestyle, the only daughter of two wealthy people. Her parents had claimed to love and adore her, and she did have a couple of vague but happy memories of time spent with them. But Lady Jaye also suspected that she had been a crimp in the lifestyle they had become accustomed to, so with the excuse that it was in her best interest, she was sent off to the modern day equivalent of boarding school. Her summers were also spent at the finest sleep-away camps, which meant she had very little interactions with her parents.

She held no grudge against them, as the education she received did open the door to Bryn Mawr, and eventually Trinity College. And she saw and experienced more of the world as a child that the majority of people ever got to see in a lifetime. But there were times she wondered what it would be like to have a true bond with a parent. And since both of her parents were killed in a skiing accident when she was twelve, she had lost the opportunity to find out.

At their memorial service, people assumed she was devastated by their loss, so she played the part of the grieving orphan. She returned to school a few days after the memorial, determined to show that nothing had changed. Her teachers assumed she was putting up a brave front, but her closest friends understood what she was going through, as they too were dealing with part-time parents. She confided in them that she felt more like she had lost a couple of beloved celebrities than true caregivers.

Her parents' death brought a sense of freedom. They had made it quite clear from the beginning that they had planned out her life's trajectory and they expected her to follow it without argument. Even though her grandmother stepped in to take over the parental duties and to make sure her parents' wishes for her were realized, Lady Jaye knew that when the time came, she would decide her own future for herself.

But since she respected her grandmother, she played the game to make her happy. She finished school with high honors, and then went to one of her parent's acceptable colleges. Trinity was the beginning of her rebellion. Her grandmother wanted her to attend Wharton, for a Masters in business, so that eventually she could take over the family business. Lady Jaye, though, convinced her grandmother that she needed to spend a year or two in Ireland to sow some wild oats before she settled down.

While there, her grandmother suffered her first in a series of debilitating strokes. It was also the time that Lady Jaye began to give serious thought to the Army. Seeing her grandmother in such ill health had her reconsider it briefly, but she knew that her heart was set on giving back to her country. By the time she graduated Trinity and enlisted in the Army, her grandmother had deteriorated to a point that she was in a nursing home and barely conscious, so Lady Jaye never had to break the news to her of her career choice.

Her grandmother died during basic training. So she once again was at a memorial service acting more bereaved than she really was. She had only been granted a twenty-four hour leave pass to attend the service, which made her realize the Army didn't care about personal problems. Which suited her fine, since she had no family to hold her back. She didn't lack in companionship, as over the years she made many friends and had a few boyfriends. But any relationship she entered into was done with the stipulation that her army career came first. Through her schooling and training she saw many men and women that struggled with balancing the army with family life, and she didn't want to end up in the same situation.

That all changed when she joined the Joes. At first she kept her barriers up as she just assumed it was going to be no different from her previous assignments. But she quickly realized that wasn't the case. After her first extended mission against Cobra, she learned that she not only needed to rely on her teammates, but she cared about what happened to them. And those feelings only deepened as time went on. Between the missions and the down time spent on base, Lady Jaye established a close friendship with a core group of men and women. But even with the others that she wasn't as close to, she knew that they would without question defend her or any other teammate. And so little by little she changed from the independent rich girl with a chip on her shoulder to the woman who respected and loved her teammates.

Especially one in particular. During one mission that shouldn't have been, she had decided to help a civilian, Charlie Fairmont, get revenge on Cobra for destroying his house and nearly killing his family. Lady Jaye never intended to get him near Cobra, she just wanted to give him a chance to blow off steam. She admired the fact that he cared about his wife and children so deeply that he was willing to risk his life to punish the people that had hurt them. She remembered at one point thinking that it would be nice to have someone care that much about her.

Then through a series of unfortunate events they ended up in a face-off with Cobra Commander. Charlie was giddy with anticipation at the chance to take him out. But if he did, Cobra would fire off their laser weapon, instantly destroying the Skystrikers of the Joes that had come to their rescue. Lady Jaye instinctively knew that Flint was leading the team. She hadn't exactly left a trail to her location, so the fact that he had tracked her down had been quite a feat. She knew then that he too was a man that would do anything to help the woman he loved.

And he wasn't alone. There were a half dozen Skystrikers being piloted by Joes that too didn't want to see her harmed. So as unpleasant as it was, she knew she had to talk Charlie into making the decision to let Cobra Commander go, so that the Joes wouldn't be sacrificed. Luckily she did, and the Joe team arrived unscathed. When she was reunited with her teammates, she ran into Flint's arms, grateful that they both dodged the proverbial bullet.

That mission made her appreciate how much she cared about Flint and the rest of the Joes. Looking back, she realized that the loss of her parents had affected her more than she thought. All along she had been looking for a surrogate family, and she had found it with the Joes. And now with Flint and the baby, she was going to be able to create a true family. Content with her life at the moment, she dozed off.

She woke some time later and quickly realized she was in the bed alone. She sat up and saw that not only was the bed empty, but the room was too. She wondered where Flint had gone off too, and then she heard his muffled voice in the bathroom. She knocked on the door and opened it slowly. Flint put his finger to his lips. "Sir, that sounds good. And I assume it has been quiet on base?" He listened for a moment and then continued. "Okay. We'll see you tomorrow."

He put the phone away. "Sorry about that, I had to check in with the general."

"I gathered that. So we're really going back tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The Rawhides are wrapping things up tonight, so Lift-Ticket will be picking us up late tomorrow morning."

Lady Jaye was disappointed, but she knew their free time in DC had to come to an end at some point. "Well, then I guess we need to make the best of the rest of the day here." She looked at her watch and did a double-take when she saw it was nearly six. "Is it really that late?"

"Yes, you were asleep a good couple of hours."

"Oh, Dash, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you were out cold. When you didn't hear me get up or move around the room, I figured you needed the sleep."

"I guess I did," Lady Jaye admitted with a sheepish smile.

Flint pulled her into his arms. "How are you feeling? Are you up for dinner out?"

"Actually, pretty good. And dinner sounds fabulous."

"Good. Because I want to take you to the restaurant I picked out for the other evening. I went ahead and made reservations for seven, so we do have a little time to kill."

He led her to the bed and then kissed her long and deeply. He pulled away and rubbed his hand on her cheek. "I love you." His hand trailed down her front until it came to rest on her stomach. "And I know it's early, but I already love this little guy."

Lady Jaye grinned as she brought her hand to rest on his. "I love you too."

Flint matched her grin. "It really makes me happy to hear you say that. You had me worried for a while."

Lady Jaye didn't really want to rehash their issues of the last couple weeks, but she knew they should. They were going to be heading back to base in the morning, so they needed to clear the air before they returned. "To be honest, you had me worried too. I had convinced myself that you were slowly pulling away, because if the day came that you would have to choose between General Bradshaw's version of the Joes and me that you would pick the Joes."

"I'm sorry that I gave you that impression, as that was not my intention. I know I've said it a few times, but it's true, I was only trying to make the best of a bad situation."

Lady Jaye had to admit that a small part of her doubted how true that statement was. But she didn't want to spend the limited time together arguing over past mistakes. Instead, she wanted to focus on the future. "I know that now. But I still don't want to head back tomorrow and end up right back to where we were."

Flint wrapped his arms around her. "I have no intention of doing that. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned getting an apartment. I pretty much blew the idea off because I got so bogged down with Joe things, but I promise you, it is my number one priority once we get back to HQ tomorrow. I think it will be nice to have a place to escape from the Joes."

Lady Jaye smiled. "I think nice is an understatement."

Flint nodded and then went deep in thought for a few moments. He then turned to her, and with a squeeze of his arm, smiled at her. She leaned into him, and too sat quietly with her thoughts. As her mind played through a series of what-if scenarios, she opened her mouth to get Flint's opinion on it. But each time she closed it again. It was true what she had said about not knowing exactly what was coming down the road. And there was no reason to come up with an exact plan for each scenario. As long as she and Flint remained committed to each other and the new life that was growing inside of her, they could handle whatever came their way.


	15. Chapter 15

Lady Jaye walked down the corridor towards the infirmary. It was actually the third time she had attempted the visit. Originally, she had wanted to get it over with, so shortly after they had landed back at HQ she headed to medical. But then she chickened out and came up with the excuse that she wanted to unpack first before she talked to Lifeline. She promised herself she would go first thing the following morning. The attack of morning sickness, that luckily held off until after PT was over, almost convinced her to postpone the visit yet again. But then she realized that was the whole point of seeing the doctors. However, halfway there, she got called in to take a look at a report that had come over the wire from Bonn. A pair of twins had gotten themselves arrested at a financial summit. Everyone had assumed it was Xamot and Tomax, but upon further review it turned out that they were not the only wealthy European twins that were causing havoc in the world. So once that was resolved, she made the visit to the infirmary her priority.

She walked in and saw that luckily the place was empty. Lifeline, the doctor on duty, was at one of the cabinets organizing the medication and turned when she entered. "Lady Jaye, good to see you. Are you due for your physical already?"

"No, not really. But I do want to talk to you about something."

"Sure, follow me."

Lifeline must have suspected that she wanted to speak to him in confidence because he led her to his office instead of one of the triage areas. As he closed the door behind them, Lady Jaye was happy for the privacy that afforded them. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the one page report Planned Parenthood had given her. She looked down at it a moment before she spoke. "I'm pregnant," she said simply.

Lifeline nodded but kept his face impassive. Lady Jaye sat down while he read the paperwork that she handed him. "Obviously, I'm not an obstetrician, but I've had very basic training, and your stats look good. I assume you are going to find a real OB-Gyn?"

"The clinic in DC helped me with that. I already have an appointment in a couple of days. But based on what you're seeing, I should have no problems continuing on with the Joes?"

Lifeline pulled over a chair and sat next to her. "Unless your doctor tells you differently, I don't see a problem. Technically, you are allowed to do field work until twenty weeks but due to the nature of our work here, starting now I would avoid going on any missions where there is a chance of encountering Cobra."

"I agree," Lady Jaye said. And with the lack of missions on the horizon, she figured that wouldn't be a problem.

"I can write up a short report that you can give to General Bradshaw, but that shouldn't take me long."

"Actually, I need you to hold off on that."

Lifeline looked concerned. "Why?"

Lady Jaye looked towards the closed door. "What we talk about in here is protected under medical privacy laws, correct?"

Lifeline confirmed that was true so Lady Jaye debated how to continue. The easiest way was to blurt out that Flint was the father, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. "It's probably obvious that this is a bit unplanned. Therefore I just need to get my affairs in order before I announce it to the world."

Lifeline frowned. "I can understand you being taken aback by this. But Lady Jaye, I have to point out to you that the military code is pretty clear about this. You need to report your pregnancy to your commanding officer."

"I know, and I will. But I just need a little time."

Lifeline wasn't ready to acquiesce. "If you're worried about the stigma of being unwed and pregnant, don't be. There was a time a few years ago that your career would be in jeopardy, but times have changed. You can't be punished because of this."

Lady Jaye sighed. "I'm not so sure about that. While there may be no legal ramifications, I know I am going to have to deal with the stigma of having a baby out of wedlock. Not necessarily from the Joes, but I know there are a lot of old fashioned men in the military as a whole. But I can deal with that. The bigger problem I have is due to the baby's parentage." She was fairly certain that Lifeline could connect the dots and figure out who she was referring to, but if he wasn't going to name names, she too would keep things vague.

She figured her hunch was correct when she watched the realization dawn on Lifeline's face. "Okay, I see where you are coming from, but I have to ask. Are you in away way being threatened or coerced into keeping quiet about this?"

Lady Jaye startled at the question. "No, I am not."

Lifeline exhaled sharply. He reached for her hand. "Alison, this is one of those times where I find the line between physician and teammate becomes blurred. Yes, I am one of the Joes' doctors, but I hope I am also your friend, and that you would feel comfortable confiding in me."

"Lifeline, I do. And believe me I would talk to you if there was a problem. But this is completely my decision. He was thrilled with the news, and in fact, if he had his way, he would have announced it to the world earlier today."

Lifeline looked at her a moment before he spoke. "Normally, at this point, I'd start asking questions about the father, but I think in this case that anonymity may be best. But please let him know that if he too has any questions, or needs to talk, my door is always open. As I said to you, these are private conversations that stay in this room."

Lady Jaye nodded. She wondered if Flint would take the doctor up on his offer. The two weren't particularly close, but Lifeline had handed out relationship advice to him in the past.

Lifeline continued, "I can't hide or forge medical records so I do need to update yours. General Bradshaw already completed his review, and he asked that he be informed anytime there was a change of status of any members of the team. Since your condition isn't debilitating, and you will be continuing with your duties as normal, I can hold off telling him."

Lady Jaye let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

"I'm going to be honest, this isn't the first time I kept information from a general. If I thought you were putting yourself or others in danger, I wouldn't hesitate to inform your superior. But in this case, it's been quiet around here, you're in good health and as long as you don't engage in any kind of risky behavior, I'll give you time to get your affairs in order." Lifeline looked again at the paperwork. "I don't see any dates on here, do you know how far along you are?"

"I'm guessing only one to two months. I didn't have a good date to give them of my last period, so they said that my doctor could help determine that."

"Pay me a visit again once you know. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the farther along you are the less time you have to keep quiet about this. Also, while I may pick and choose what info I share with the general, I won't lie to him."

"I understand, and I wouldn't want you to." Lady Jaye rose from the chair. "Thank you again."

Lifeline too stood up. "It's what I'm here for. Remember, my door is always open if you have any concerns or questions, or just want to talk. And, Lady Jaye, one last thing," Lifeline said with a smile. Congratulations."

* * *

Lady Jaye headed back to the base. She had to admit she was a little disappointed in her first pre-natal appointment. Not that anything was wrong, in fact all of her hormonal levels and other benchmarks were squarely in the normal range. But she had hoped to have a more in depth visit to learn details of the baby growing inside of her. However, the total visit with the nurse practitioner lasted less than five minutes, which as she explained was typical of a first pre-natal visit. Based on the tests they had run on her, she and her baby looked to be healthy. She then left the office with another appointment scheduled for four weeks later, which they promised would be more in depth and would include an ultrasound. The one thing they did confirm was her due date. So as she left the clinic she was able to contemplate the time line she now had.

Since the appointment had gone quicker than expected, she had the time to begin the apartment hunt. She had picked up a rental guide, and visited a couple of complexes. Once she was back on base she organized her notes, grabbed a sticky note where she wrote "May 14th", and put it all together in a folder. Once she was done, she searched out Flint.

She entered the cafeteria, and found him sitting alone at one of the tables, engrossed in a book while eating his lunch. He had wanted to come along with her, but she was glad she had talked him out of it. They needed to be extra careful now and keep their distance as much as possible. Having him run off base to join her for her mid-morning appointment just seemed too dangerous. She was glad that he didn't miss much, and hopefully by the time her next appointment came around, General Bradshaw would be a non issue. But she did promise Flint a post appointment report, so taking on a professional demeanor, she approached his table and handed him the folder. "These are the numbers you asked for."

He opened the folder, read the note and she could see him doing the math in his head. "Almost two months?"

Lady Jaye glanced around the cafeteria. It was about half full, and the Joes that were nearest to them appeared engrossed in their own conversations. She still though, kept her voice down. "Actually, eight weeks and three days. They gave me a calendar to keep track of the exact day."

"And everything looks good?"

"All my levels are normal. I had hoped that I would get a chance to see or hear the little guy, but they said that would happen at the next appointment."

"I'm sorry you didn't, but I am glad I didn't miss anything."

"Me too." Lady Jaye didn't want to dwell too long on where they'd be in four weeks so she changed topics. "The rest of the paperwork in there are details on a couple of apartments I scoped out. I didn't get a chance to go inside either one, but the complexes look nice."

"Okay, I'll make the calls to set up the walkthroughs. What's a good day and time?"

Lady Jaye mentally reviewed her schedule for the rest of the week. But before she could answer, she noticed Alpine coming towards them. "Incoming," she whispered. Flint quietly closed the folder and placed it underneath his book.

"Hey no fair," Alpine said. "If those are photos of her boobs, you need to share. Especially since apparently you no longer have exclusive access to them anymore."

Flint slammed his book shut. He stood up and got into Alpine's face. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. These type of rumors stops now. If I ever hear you say anything like that again, having KP for the rest of your career will be the least of your problems. And pass the message along to any of your other buddies that can't keep their mouths shut either."

Lady Jaye shook her head as she watched Flint storm away. Alpine looked horrified. "I didn't mean anything by that. It was only a joke."

She turned toward him. "That's the point. It's not a joke. If General Bradshaw hears about the relationship we had, we could be in serious trouble."

"What do you mean 'had'?"

"I mean it's over between us. Once you get an order from Hawk to knock off the shenanigans, you listen."

"Jaye, I'm sorry. I heard the rumors going around, but I figured you were just doing a good job of sneaking around."

His comment hit too close to the truth, so she quickly went into acting mode. "No. We decided it was too dangerous. So it was hard, but we're trying to make the smart call here." Jaye kept up the act. Luckily, tears weren't hard to bring forth. She wiped at her eyes. "We're trying to keep up a friendship at least, but as you can see that's not so easy."

Alpine nodded. "That would also explain Duke and Scarlett avoiding each other like they had the plague."

"Yep. Hawk had quite the discussion with his misbehaving leadership team the morning he announced he was being transferred to DC. It's been a hell of a balancing act since then."

Alpine put a hand on her shoulder. "I truly am sorry. I know how much you loved each other. Let me know if you ever need anything, even if it is just a shoulder to cry on."

"Thanks Alpine," Lady Jaye said. As she watched him walk away, she felt even worse about her deception.

* * *

Lady Jaye looked again at the listing, checked her notes, and then leaned back with a sigh. She had spent most of the quiet Sunday morning continuing the apartment search. She and Flint had started the previous afternoon and to say it didn't go well would be an understatement. She had hoped that a fresh perspective would help find the hidden gem. But even after making a list of pros and cons she was no closer to finding an acceptable apartment.

"Do you think we really need a kitchen?" Lady Jaye asked Scarlett who was sitting on the couch working on the Sunday crossword puzzle.

"Excuse me?" Scarlett asked as she looked up from the paper. "How can an apartment not have a kitchen?"

"Well technically it does. But the appliances are in really bad shape. The landlord claims that he has the plans to remodel, but I think he's hoping that someone who relies on takeout more than cooking comes along."

"I think that once the baby is born you're going to want a working kitchen."

Lady Jaye sighed again. "That's what Flint said." And that had led to their first argument of the afternoon, as it became apparent that their expectations for the apartment were completely different. Since their future was uncertain, Lady Jaye was just looking for a temporary place to escape to. However, Flint, wanted to find something that would be perfect for them and the baby. "Don't you think that's a little premature? It's still seven months away. We may not even be living here at that time."

"But maybe you will. So don't you want to find a place you like enough to call home?"

Lady Jaye let out a groan. "Maybe the two of you should have gone out apartment hunting together since you think alike. I appreciate the sentiment, and ideally I want to find a place that we love. But the reality is there are slim pickings out there, so we have to make due."

Scarlett walked over to the table. "Come on, let me look at what you got. It can't be that bad." However, as she flipped through Lady Jaye's stack of flyers she frowned. "Is this really the best of what's out there?"

"It's not only the best, it's just about all of it."

"Have you tried a higher price range?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "It's not the price that the problem, it's our criteria. First off, we need one that's available now or in the very near future." Lady Jaye pointed to a pile. "Which eliminates this group. Ideally, we want to be ten to fifteen minutes away from base in case there is an emergency. Plus, we'd like something that's furnished."

"Okay, that all sounds reasonable. What about the apartment complex he lived in? They don't still have that silly Joe ban in place?"

"No, they don't. And it's a great place which is why Zap and Iceberg moved in as soon as they lifted the ban last year. Which brings me to our third and most limiting factor, there can't be Joes living there."

"I see your problem. But don't give up, you've only gone out looking for one day."

"I know. And I'm trying not to rush into this. But I can't help it. Now that I have the idea in my head of having a place to get away from here, I want to make that happen as soon as possible." After the words came out of her mouth, Lady Jaye realized she may have offended Scarlett. "Please don't take that as an attack against you. I love our suite here, it's just the rest of the base that's a problem. I hate feeling like every move I make is being watched by General Bradshaw."

Scarlett waved her off. "No offense taken. I understand the desire. Plus, I realized long ago that you actually have your sights on a different roommate."

Lady Jaye smiled. "Guilty as charged. Once we got past the stress of the baby news, we had a really nice time in DC. And as expected, since then, we're right back to having to avoid each other. So, what I want is just the chance to hang out with Flint without the fear of being caught. As silly as it sounds, my dream night is being able to lie around on the couch together watching TV."

"That actually sounds pretty nice. And I'm sure that's what Flint wants as well."

"It is. But he also doesn't want to settle because we're in a hurry. I just think it's a moot point. My, and quite possibly his, future on the Joe team will be decided within two months at most. While I'm cautiously optimistic that all goes well, shouldn't we make the most of the time we have now?"

"Did you ask him that?"

"I did. And while he agrees with me, he also refuses to live in, and I quote, a shithole."

Scarlett laughed. "You kind of have to give him that point. I don't know how relaxing your evenings will be if you're worried about cockroaches crawling on you."

"Not only roaches, but I swear he is the most paranoid future father on the planet. I understand about the one apartment that was so old, we were concerned about lead paint. But this one," Lady Jaye said as she picked up one of the sheets,"was a top contender until he learned it was a few blocks away from a substation. So now he needs to research the effects of electrical waves on fetuses. It's crazy."

Scarlett patted her hand. "I think it sounds sweet. He just wants what is best for you and the baby."

Lady Jaye sighed. "I know. And it does mean a lot to me that he is this invested. But I just wish he would tone it down."

Once again Scarlett laughed. "Then you're in love with the wrong man. Flint doesn't know how to tone it down."

Lady Jaye's ringing phone interrupted the conversation. She saw it was Flint and said to Scarlett, "He probably has the results of his study." The two laughed as she answered the phone.

"I found another apartment that we could look at. A two bedroom in Spring Meadow."

Lady Jaye scanned the real estate section in front of her. "Oh yeah? I didn't see the listing in the paper."

"That's because it's not on the market yet. Remember the guy we met yesterday who had already rented out the other apartment in Spring Meadow? He called me to say that he heard this unit was getting ready to be put up as a rent by owner. Gave me the contact information and the owner said I could come look at it. He's only there until about lunch time, so are you free to come look too?"

"Sure, I'm just hanging out. Tell me which apartment it is and I'll meet you there."

After she jotted down the unit number, she turned to Scarlett and asked if she wanted to come along.

"Thanks, but no. I'm meeting Snake-Eyes in a little while to do some sparring."

A half hour later Lady Jaye parked in front of the complex and entered the apartment. From the moment she walked through the door, she knew she had found their place. But she kept her excitement in check as she walked towards the back bedrooms where she heard Flint and the owner in conversation.

"Oh good, you're here," Flint said with a smile. "Alison, this is Mr. Williams, the owner."

"Pleased to meet you," Mr. Williams said with a shake of her hand. "I was just telling Dashiell about the upgrades that were made to the building."

Lady Jaye nodded as she looked around. "Are the furnishings included?"

"Yes they are and everything is brand new," Mr. Williams answered. "My wife and I bought this place for our son who was graduating college and moving back home. But he got another job offer, so we decided to rent it out instead. But since his plans may change, we're only offering it as a month to month."

"That's fine," Lady Jaye said at the same time that Flint replied that was a problem.

She faced Flint ready to argue the point when Mr. Williams said, "I have to get a couple of things out of my car. Why don't I give you two a few minutes to talk?"

Once Lady Jaye heard the front door close she turned towards Flint. "Dash, this place is perfect."

"I know it is really nice, but I told you that I'm not going to worry every month that we're going to be thrown out of our apartment."

Lady Jaye shook her head. "You do still remember that we're going to spend every month more concerned about being thrown off the Joe team?"

Flint sighed. "And that's why I also don't want to worry about being homeless."

The front door opened and the two went quiet. Mr. Williams joined them in the bedroom. "I'm going to be honest with you. I don't like the idea of renting month to month, but it's my wife keeping her hope alive that her baby boy is going to move back home. Since I think that's highly unlikely in the next few months, I can guarantee you a six month lease. At that point we can then see where we're at."

It sounded reasonable to Lady Jaye, but she saw Flint shaking his head. "Why not?" she asked with barely restrained hostility.

"Alison, you're going to be eight months pregnant at that time. Do you think you're really going to want to move then?"

Mr. Williams face lit up. "You two are having a baby? What an exciting time!"

Alison forced a smile while she restrained a sigh. She was now sure that more strangers knew about the baby then their friends and family. "Yes, we are very excited. Which is why we're just trying to find a good home for us."

She felt like she may have been laying it on a little thick, but it seemed to work. "It might be a hard sell to convince my wife to go for the full year, but I promise you if you take this place, I will not put you in a bad position. If I find out my son is moving back home, I will give you plenty of notice and let you stay here until you find somewhere else."

Flint looked at her, and his gaze softened. He took one last look around. "So when will it be available?"

"It's ready now. As soon as you sign the contract and give me first and last month's rent, you can have it."

Flint turned to Lady Jaye who nodded with a grin. "So who can I make the check out to?"


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Once again, thank you for all the reviews. I do enjoy reading them and since this is still a work in progress they give me a lot to think about while I continue to write. I do though apologize for the lack of a proposal scene. It wasn't forgotten - Flint will explain his thoughts for waiting in the next chapter.

Flint hit the ground using the bush as cover. He brought the binoculars to his eyes and looked at the target. The flag was still there, gently blowing in the wind. He then did a scan of his surroundings. It looked like, for the moment at least, that they were alone.

He turned behind him and gave a wave. He was joined by Dusty and Rock and Roll. "Where are the others?"

Dusty shook his head, while Rock and Roll answered. "I think they got sidetracked playing Grab-Ass."

Flint muttered under his breath. This may only be a game to the rest of his team, but he had a lot riding on the outcome of this exercise. Duke had come up with the idea for what was now known as the Joe Olympics as a way to alleviate the boredom that was running rampant on the base. The Joe team had participated in many war games in the past as part of their training regiment, but this was the first time it had morphed into a multi-day event. The Joes had been split into two teams, one led by Flint, the other led by Beachhead, with Duke and General Bradshaw acting as commissioners.

The current and final event of the Joe Olympics was an overly complex version of Capture the Flag. Both teams were basically tied going into the event, so whichever side that was able to grab hold of the flag first would win the Olympics. For Flint, not only was personal pride on the line, but he and Beachhead had made a friendly bet to up the stakes. So Flint really wanted to win, to not only be free of his mundane paperwork, but to avoid ending up in Beachhead's PT for a week. And he was now only feet away from his goal.

"Damn it!" Flint yelled as he watched Quick-Kick, a member of Beachhead's team, come out of the woods in an all out run towards the flagpole.

Lady Jaye appeared at his side. "Don't worry, I got him," she said as she pulled a javelin from the holder on her back. "Once I distract him, make your move."

Lady Jaye threw the javelin three feet in front of Quick-Kick. At first it seemed to land harmlessly, but then smoke began to erupt from the tip. Quick-Kick tried to run through it, but he was soon overcome in a coughing fit.

"Nice job, Lady Jaye!" Gung-Ho said, patting her on the shoulder. "Go ahead Flint, it's all yours!"

Flint took off and gave a wide berth to the still-smoking javelin. He could see other Joes heading towards him, but he knew the flag was his as he had a head start on the opposing team. He began to compose his winning speech in his head when a motion in his peripheral vision stopped him. Lady Jaye was laughing with Gung-Ho and seemed to be unaware of the activity off to her side.

"Incoming!" Tunnel Rat shouted right before he body-checked Gung-Ho who was knocked off his feet and into Lady Jaye. All three fell to the ground.

Flint's heart stopped. Ignoring the whoops and hollers of Beachhead proclaiming his victory, he raced towards Lady Jaye's side. She was being helped up by an extremely apologetic Tunnel Rat. "Sorry, Lady Jaye. I only meant to get the big guy. But at least I could say now I finally swept you off your feet."

"Back off, Lee," Flint barked, ignoring the warning look Lady Jaye shot him.

Gung-Ho grabbed Tunnel Rat by his shirt. "What is wrong with you?"

"Easy! I was just throwing a block for my team," Tunnel Rat replied with a grin.

Lady Jaye turned and walked away from the budding fight. Beachhead called out to Flint, but he ignored him. He was concerned about the hit Lady Jaye took, so he followed after her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's my own damn fault. I wasn't paying attention."

"Maybe you should get yourself checked out."

"For falling down? Doc is going to laugh me out of medical."

"I know you're fine, but it's not you I'm worried about."

Lady Jaye stepped further away from the chaotic scene of the Joes behind him. "Dash, you need to calm down. If pregnant women were that fragile, they'd be a lot less babies in the world. I'm sure I got banged up worse before I found out about the baby, and everything is fine so far."

Flint shook his head. "Why keep taking the chance? What if the next time you really get hurt?"

"Because this is my job."

"Which I guess is more important than our baby?"

Anger flashed on Lady Jaye's face. "Don't be dramatic. When I told Lifeline I asked him for a list of restrictions that is standard for active duty women. I've been following that. This glorified kids' game is not a risky endeavor."

Flint was going to respond to further plead his case, but she quieted him by speaking over his shoulder. "Hey, Duke."

"Everything okay over here?" Duke asked.

"Yep," Lady Jaye replied with a smile. "I was just heading back. How badly is Beachhead gloating?"

"Pretty badly," Duke answered.

Duke turned to face him as Lady Jaye walked away. "Flint, you have to leave her alone. You can't jump all over her case every time one of the guys touches her."

Flint was momentarily confused until he replayed the previous event in his head. He realized that Duke was probably under the mistaken impression that he was arguing with her over Tunnel Rat's actions. "Thanks for the advice, Duke. But you really need to mind your own business."

"If you're harassing one of the Joes due to personal issues, than that is my business. Believe me, I know how hard it is." He nodded towards Scarlett who was signing at Snake-Eyes. "Do you think it's easy watching how chummy she's gotten with Snakes? But, as much as it pains me, I have to let it go."

Flint didn't have the desire to console Duke or continue the conversation so he muttered a half-hearted promise to work on his behavior. He noticed Lady Jaye had gone inside the base, so he headed in that direction. He knew he was probably going to end up with another lecture by both her and Duke, but he didn't care. He had to talk to her and finish the conversation they started.

However, Beachhead intercepted him before he got back inside. "A week of PT, Faireborn. And believe me, I'm going to make it extra special for you. When was the last time you joined us working grunts for a real session of exercise?"

Flint had to admit it had been a while since he had engaged in a Beachhead led PT session. After butting heads with the drills sergeant on a number of occasions, he hadn't even thought twice when Hawk had offered the leadership staff a free pass from the mandatory PT the other Joes were held to. Instead he had kept up a rigorous exercise program on his own schedule, so he considered himself in top shape. Therefore he knew he was up to the challenge. "I've been managing quite fine on my own, Beach. And I will prove it to you bright and early tomorrow morning."

Beachhead continued to taunt him, but he walked away. Lady Jaye was nowhere in sight by the time he got inside the base. He decided to check out the most likely public areas she would go to and he found her alone in the computer room.

He took a seat in front of the terminal next to hers. "Catching up on the celebrity gossip?"

Lady Jaye smiled. "I wish. There was a note on my desk that there has been another Crimson Twins sighting. This one might actually be legit, though." She leaned back in her chair, and faced him briefly before she turned her attention back to the computer screen. "I hate trying to talk to you here. I never know who's watching or who's going to walk in on us."

"Do you want to go to the apartment?"

"I can't. I need to chase down this lead."

Flint nodded. Deciding that he too needed to keep up pretenses, he accessed his account on the computer. The two worked quietly for a few minutes until Lady Jaye broke the silence. She spoke in a near whisper and never took her eyes from the computer monitor. "Dash, what I'm about to say I mean with the greatest of love and respect. You have to stop trying to micromanage my life right now. Once the baby is born, you will have an equal say in all aspects of raising him or her. But until that time, while he or she is growing inside of me, I decide what is best for us. I hope you have enough faith in me to trust that I am going to take good care of myself and our baby. If not, than we have a bigger problem than keeping this secret from the general."

Flint let the words sink in. He knew his actions had been over the top ever since he found out Lady Jaye was pregnant. "I do trust you, and I know you're not going to do anything to harm the baby. But, Al, I can't help it." Flint took a deep breath before he continued. "You know me. I like to be in charge. But I haven't ever been in control of this situation, and that makes me crazy. Plus the idea of bringing a baby into this world scares the hell out of me, and I want to do everything I can to keep you both safe."

"I know the feeling," Lady Jaye answered quietly. "This whole thing terrifies me too. That said, I really am okay after this afternoon. However, I decided that if I feel the slightest twinge or anything out of the ordinary, I'll make an appointment to be checked out."

"Thank you," Flint answered simply. He wanted to do more, but in a public place with cameras around, he couldn't.

* * *

Lady Jaye let the warm water continue to wash over her, extending her already very leisurely shower. She figured she deserved it for powering through PT with a bout of morning sickness. She definitely hadn't set any course records that morning, but since Beachhead didn't chew out her performance she considered it a win. Lady Jaye ran her hand down her still flat stomach. It was amazing that something that consisted of only a few hundred cells could wreak such havoc on her well-being.

She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. As soon as she did she heard the tell-tale beep of a missed message. She quickly went to her nightstand to retrieve her phone. There had been a time when she had been on call basically twenty-four hours a day, and she would have her phone with her at all times. At particularly tense times, she would even have it at the edge of the shower. But that need had long since died down. So while it wasn't unreasonable to be temporarily unavailable, she still didn't like it.

Her breath caught as she played back the message. "Lady Jaye, General Bradshaw. Report to the conference room at 0800." She looked at the clock and saw she only had a few minutes to get there on time.

As she hurriedly dressed her mind ran through a series of doomsday scenarios. Again, if it was a few months earlier, she would just assume that the general received word of another brewing Cobra attack. But with that potential now slim, she was afraid he was calling her in for much more personal reason, and that somehow he had learned of her pregnancy.

Once dressed she ran through the hallways, composing a game plan. If the general had discovered her secret, she realized that it didn't necessary spell complete doom for her. She'd only known for two weeks, and had informed Lifeline ten days prior. That wasn't a long stretch of time, and she figured she could still claim she was getting her affairs in order before she officially informed General Bradshaw. Being a stickler for the rules, the general would probably still reprimand her, but she could handle that. She just hoped he also hadn't figure out that Flint was the father. If that was the case, there really was no defense against it. However, that didn't stop her from trying to come up with one.

She was so deep into her thoughts that she practically ran into Duke who was standing outside the conference room. "Lady Jaye, are you okay?"

Lady Jaye shook herself from her thoughts and gave him a distracted smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I'm having a hard time waking up this morning."

"I thought you looked sluggish during PT," Beachhead said as he walked past them into the conference room. Lady Jaye watched as he took a seat between Flint and Falcon. She then realized that Officer's call was starting. She wondered if General Bradshaw was planning on making a spectacle of her during the meeting.

She took a seat across from Flint and tried to make eye contact with him to get a sense if he knew what was coming. However, he was deeply engrossed in the paperwork in front of him. The fact though that he ignored her arrival and didn't seem tense gave the indication that he wasn't privy to what the general was thinking. Or, the other possibility was that she was overreacting.

The latter thought became the more likely scenario when General Bradshaw walked through the door chatting with Scarlett. Scarlett nodded, ending their conversation and she took a seat next to Lady Jaye.

"Good morning all, and welcome ladies. I'm glad you were able to join us. I've asked you here today because early this morning I received word from DC regarding the results of your budget presentation."

Lady Jaye let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She briefly scoffed at herself for getting worked up over a non-event. General Bradshaw continued. "General Howe reiterated how professional and thorough your presentation was. While it didn't totally negate the pending budget crisis facing the Joes, you did help convince the committee that they didn't need to take drastic action just yet."

A collective sigh of relief was heard and General Bradshaw smiled. "I know we've all been concerned these last couple of weeks that we were going to be shut down. But we're not totally out of the woods, as we will have to implement several cost cutting measures. General Howe said the budget committee will keep their hands off of the Joe team as long as we follow the suggestions Scarlett and Lady Jaye laid out in their presentation."

Lady Jaye wished she had gotten advance notice, so she could have brought along copies of their presentation. Scarlett, though, was more prepared and she handed out a Cliffs Notes version. "The top three bullet points will go into effect immediately. The rest I'll enact as I deem is necessary." General Bradshaw turned towards Beachhead. "So the motor pool will have to forego all the fancy upgrades and equipment they asked for."

Beachhead shrugged. "They won't be happy but they'll get used to it."

General Bradshaw nodded. "That will be our motto from now on. I'm not going to sugarcoat things by saying it's going to be easy. We're going to feel each and every one of these cuts. But I do believe it will be better if we can make them on our end, and not have them dictated to us from Washington."

"I agree," Duke said. "How are we going to handle downsizing the personnel?"

"For now, we'll make it known that the ban on transfers out is lifted. I'm sure there are several people that are ready to move on, and they'll have their chance. Based on those numbers, we'll then make the call if others need to be encouraged to seek employment elsewhere."

Lady Jaye settled back in her chair as she contemplated the repercussions. When she and Scarlett had come up with cost-cutting ideas, it had seemed they were only making hypothetical suggestions. But now that they were being implemented, she realized that people she cared about were going to be affected.

Based on how quiet the room became, she wasn't the only one that realized that the Joe team was never going to be the same. That idea was also apparently not lost on General Bradshaw. "I have to admit, as the new guy in the room, this is a lot easier on me. The fact that the GI Joe team has been able to stay together for as long as it has is an amazing feat for this country's military. So I can only imagine how hard it must be for all of you to have to say goodbye to guys you have become very close to. But as painful as this is going to be, it's better than the alternative.

"We also have to be smart about this. I don't want to open the door to a mass exodus that leaves the Joe team crippled. Gentlemen, you are all heads of various departments around the base, so over the next week or so I want you to talk with your teammates to find out what their plans are. The goal is to make a more efficient, but effective Joe team. We may be in a lull now, but I still believe that we are going to be called into action, hopefully in the very near future. And despite what DC is saying officially, I think they believe that too. As proof of that they also informed me that General Abernathy will be returning to his post here."

This time Flint did make eye contact with her. He held her gaze for a moment before he turned towards General Bradshaw and asked, "Do you know when?"

General Bradshaw laughed. "Anxious to get rid of me?"

Flint began to stammer out an explanation about just wanting to be prepared but the general waved him off. "Flint, no offense was taken. It's been no secret around here that most, if not all of the Joes prefer General Abernathy's leadership style. Which is fine. I wouldn't have gotten this far in my career if I got upset after I found out someone didn't like me. While I admit that not all of my changes around here may have been successful, I do think the majority of them were. But since the Joe team will be going through a further upheaval, and to prepare for the return of Hawk, I'm going to relax a couple of my recently implemented rules. The major one being that starting next week, the OC will be once again open to all Joes that hold a high ranking position on the team."

The general went silent for a few moments to give the Joes time to process all that he had said. "I know this is a lot to take in, so I'm giving you the weekend to digest it. I'm heading home to tell my wife the good news of my return. We'll have our first expanded OC on Monday, where we'll begin to implement the measures. In the meantime, are there any questions?"

The room remained silent, as the Joes looked around at each other. Lady Jaye assumed everyone was just as thunderstruck as she was. General Bradshaw nodded. "My door is open if anyone wants to talk before I leave in a couple of hours. And one last thing before I dismiss you. You didn't hear this from me, but General Howe let slip that General Colton will be coming here next week for a surprise inspection."

Both Flint and Duke groaned. General Colton was a founding member of the Joe team, and he liked to visit every few months to get a first-hand look at the elite unit. He didn't seem like a bad guy, which Flint had agreed with. But the inspections always meant many hours being dedicated to preparing for the visit, and the follow-up paperwork.

General Bradshaw dismissed them, and Lady Jaye stood up. As she turned to leave, the general stopped her. "Hold on, Lady Jaye. I need to talk to you."

Her terror from before the meeting returned. She began to think that her initial impression was correct, that General Bradshaw had learned of her pregnancy, but he had to first deal with the news from DC before he could deal with her. Based on the concerned look on Flint's face and the fact that he stayed behind while the others had left, made her think that he had come to the same conclusion. "Do you need something from me?" General Bradshaw asked him.

"I do have a couple of things I want to talk to you about," Flint answered.

"No problem. Let me talk to Lady Jaye first, and I'll call you back in when we're done."

Flint nodded, and with one last passing glance at Lady Jaye, he left. As soon as the door closed behind him, Lady Jaye decided to get right to it. "Something wrong, general?"

"No. I talked with Scarlett before the meeting, but I didn't get a chance to also chat with you. I want to say again what a nice job the two of you did on the report. But now I want to expand on that work. I asked her to crunch the numbers for me to give us a goal to shoot for with our downsizing. While she works on that, I would like you to give me an updated list of where the known members of Cobra are hiding out, and any other potential budding threats. We're going to need to be picky on future missions, but I also don't want to sit idly by and wait for a terrorist attack to happen. I'd like to prove our continued usefulness to DC."

Once again Lady Jaye berated herself for jumping to conclusions. While her heart rate returned to normal, she said, "I'll work on that this weekend, and have a report ready for you when you get back."

"Good. Be ready to present it at our first expanded OC." General Bradshaw's phone rang. He took a look at the screen and said, "I need to take this. If Flint is out there, tell him I'll come to his office once I'm done."

Lady Jaye nodded. She grabbed her papers and went out into the hall. As expected, Flint was waiting for her. She let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall. "Everything alright?" Flint asked.

"Yes," Lady Jaye answered. "I'm just a victim of letting my imagination run wild. I thought for sure I was busted."

"I have to admit that I thought the same," Flint said.

Lady Jaye cocked her head towards the door. "General Bradshaw had to take a call. He said he'll meet you in your office in a few minutes."

"Okay. Do you want to walk with me?"

"Since it's on the way to my office, sure," Lady Jaye said with a smile. Once they were far enough down the hall she continued the conversation. "Despite the fact that I feel like I'm walking around with a large red 'P' on my chest, General Bradshaw hasn't found out about Junior yet."

"So what did he talk to you about?"

"He gave me an assignment. He wants me to update our best guess to the status and current location of all known Cobras, and any other potential terrorists looking to make a name for themselves."

"That's a nice little project."

"It is. And he wants me to present my findings to OC on Monday. I'm starting to feel like a useful member of this team again."

Flint smiled. "I'm happy for you." They had nearly reached his office door, so he stopped. Lowering his voice he said, "Do you want to take advantage of the fact that the general is leaving for the weekend? We can get dinner and then go back to the apartment. Maybe watch a couple of movies?"

Lady Jaye matched his smile. "That sounds wonderful. It's a date."


	17. Chapter 17

Flint brought the bowl of popcorn into the living room and handed it to Lady Jaye. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Actually," Lady Jaye said with a sheepish grin. "I left my water in the kitchen. Can you bring it to me?"

Flint let out an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, but you're going to need to pay me back by letting me watch my movie first."

"That's fine," Lady Jaye said. "I'm probably going to be asleep within a few minutes, so you might as well enjoy what you're watching."

Flint returned with her water bottle and then took a seat next to her on the couch. Once he was settled she snuggled up against him. "This is really nice. I don't know why we didn't do this sooner."

Flint agreed with Lady Jaye. He figured they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache the last few weeks if they had gotten the apartment sooner. Having a place to escape from the Joe base had done wonders to their relationship. "I'm just sorry I can't take full advantage and spend all weekend here. Duke will have my hide if I don't meet with him tomorrow to get ready for Colton's inspection."

Lady Jaye rubbed his leg. "Dash, it's fine. I have my own homework to do as well. I made good progress this afternoon, but I want to put some more time into it. What time are you heading in?"

"0700. But I hope you take advantage of sleeping in."

"Believe me, I am. I might regret this later, but I'm using my last 'Get out of Beach's PT' pass of the month tomorrow. It'll be nice to have two mornings where I don't have to worry about trying not to vomit on the course."

It was comments like that that bothered Flint. If Lady Jaye was feeling that bad, she shouldn't be forced into the mandatory PT. Despite her warning the other day about letting her handle her own well-being, he still wanted to talk to her about it. However, that conversation could wait until later on in the weekend.

He started the movie, and as Lady Jaye predicted, she was asleep before the movie was twenty minutes old. He didn't mind, as he was enjoying being able to hold her in his arms while she slept. Plus he knew she needed all the rest she could get.

Flint grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned his attention to the action movie he picked, but the predictable plot didn't hold his interest. He looked down at the sleeping Lady Jaye and smiled. It really way a nice way to spend an evening, and he hoped that many more evening like this were in their future.

Thinking about the future brought both excitement and dread. Good things were on the horizon – the birth of their child, and most likely a wedding. He had held off proposing in DC. The afternoon in the hotel, he had debated long and hard over whether he should finally pop the question to Lady Jaye at dinner. But in the end he decided to wait. Not only was he afraid she would think he was having a knee-jerk reaction to her pregnancy announcement, but he didn't want to return to Joe Headquarters with two major secrets that he couldn't share with his friends. Once their baby news was out in the open, and they had an idea what was happening with their careers, he would hopefully have the opportunity to take her somewhere special and finally propose.

So it should have been an exciting time for them. However, with the secrecy of their relationship, the constant fear of being caught, the lies that he had to tell his close friends, the guilt over not telling his family about his impending fatherhood and his concern over Lady Jaye's and the baby's health made for a very stressful situation. Throw in the general's announcement about the Joe's team coming upheaval, and Flint's professional worries rivaled his personal.

He wondered if all the stress was worth it. For the first time in years they were both free to pursue other professional endeavors. Maybe it was time to consider their options. A vibration in his pants pocket interrupted his thoughts. He realized it was his phone. He carefully removed it without jostling Lady Jaye too much. Bringing the phone to his ear, he whispered a hello. He was greeted by a shout from an irate Beachhead. "Where the hell are you?"

The noise was enough to wake Lady Jaye. She turned towards him and with a look of confusion she asked, "Dash?"

Flint froze. He quickly brought his finger to his mouth in a 'quiet' gesture as he hoped that Beachhead didn't hear her. But luck was not on his side. "Are you with a girl?"

"That's none of your business," Flint replied with a growl. He figured coming back at Beachhead with an attitude of his own was the quickest way to derail any suspicion on the drill sergeant's part. Lady Jaye climbed off of him and looked at him with concern.

"Yeah, well the fact that you're not here is my business. General Colton showed up ten minutes ago."

Flint jumped up. "What? He wasn't supposed to arrive until Monday at the earliest."

"No kidding. But I guess he wanted to keep some element of a surprise. So I hope you're shacked up somewhere very close to Headquarters. Duke is doing his best stalling technique, but if you don't get here in the next few minutes, things are going to get ugly."

"I'm already on my way," Flint said and hung up the phone. He spat out a serious of expletives as he went into the bedroom to change back into his uniform.

Lady Jaye followed him. "General Colton is already there?"

"Yes. Duke is meeting with him now to try and buy me some time."

Lady Jaye handed him his shirt. "Did Beachhead hear me?"

"He heard someone. But I don't think he recognized your voice."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. If I have to, I'll make up a story." Flint replied. He finished dressing and gave her a long kiss. "I don't know how long I'm going to be, but I will be coming back. I just hope it's tonight."

He then ran out the door and got into his car. He got to the base in record time. He ran to Duke's office, and then composed himself before he knocked on the First Sergeant's door. Once he was invited in, he smiled at General Colton and walked to him to shake his hand. "I'm sorry, General. I had an appointment off base that went a little longer than expected."

The General waved him off. "Don't apologize. I know I'm early. I'm headed to San Francisco for a quick getaway, and I thought I'd stop here on my way there instead of on the way back. I appreciate you accommodating my change of plans. Anyway, I'm just wrapping up my talk with Sergeant Hauser, so I'll come by your office once I'm done."

Flint nodded and then walked to his office. He was glad for the reprieve so he could get his thoughts together. General Colton's visit was a spot check of the Joe's leadership team, but Flint also figured it could also be fodder for his promotion chances, as General Colton was rumored to be one of the generals on the board. So Flint wanted to make sure he put forth his best impression. He just hoped that his late arrival wasn't held against him.

As promised, the general arrived a few minutes later. They then spent about half an hour discussing various aspects of the Joe team. It was a much easier conversation than what Flint was expecting. Once it was over, Flint excused himself to give Beachhead his time alone with the general. He found Duke waiting for him in the hallway. He cocked a thumb towards the closed door. "Did your conversation with General Colton go as well as mine did?"

"I think so. But it was hard to tell since I was preoccupied for the first twenty minutes wondering where the hell my second in command disappeared to."

"Give me a break. I didn't know he was coming tonight. If someone had given me the heads up I would have…"

Duke cut him off. "Rescheduled your appointment?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, exactly," Flint said with a smile.

"So is this going to be a regular thing?" Duke asked.

Flint paused before answering. He definitely was planning on spending as much time as possible at the apartment with Lady Jaye. But he also guessed that Duke assumed he had hooked up with another woman. It would make for a great cover story for him, but he didn't like the idea of planting rumors about his love life. "I'm not sure. It might," he answered.

Duke nodded. "Flint, you're an adult, and you are free to do what you want. You're far from the first guy on the base to spend a fair share of his nights out in town. So I've had to make this speech a few times already. But I have to caution you to make sure your job performance here doesn't suffer because of extra-curricular activities. And I have to further ask that due to your history with a certain member of this team, that you keep things on the down low for her sake."

Flint was going to reassure Duke that he had no intention of hurting Lady Jaye, but his office door opened and General Colton and Beachhead walked out. The three escorted General Colton to the tarmac, where his helicopter was waiting to take him to his next destination. General Colton reaffirmed that he was pleased with his visit, and that would be reflected in his report. Flint shook his hand and wished the general well.

Flint watched the helicopter take off, and wondered how long he needed to hang out on base before he could get back to the apartment. He took a quick glance at his watch.

"What's wrong? Did you leave your date hanging?" Beachhead sneered.

Flint ignored the comment. He turned to Duke. "Do you want to review anything based on General Colton's comments?"

"I don't think that's necessary. At least not tonight. General Bradshaw is probably going to want our thoughts when he gets back, so let's make a point before the end of the weekend to get together."

"What about tomorrow morning?" Beachhead asked. "You still want to meet up at 0800?"

Duke shook his head. "Since it was only going to be the three of us, and the main purpose was to prepare for General Colton, I think we can cancel that. But I'm still doing OC on Sunday. How about we do the Colton notes then?"

"Sounds like a plan. If something comes up in the meantime, give me a call." Flint then turned and walked away. He didn't want to be blatantly obvious and go right to his car, so he stopped back at his room. Since it looked like he wouldn't have to return to the base until Sunday morning, he did need to pack a small duffel. Neither he nor Lady Jaye had officially moved into the apartment, so he had to bring some items he might need.

As he was getting ready to leave, he heard the outer door open. He waited to see if it would be followed by the closing of the other bedroom door, but it wasn't. Flint sighed. He had hoped that he could leave without running into Beachhead. He waited a few more minutes, before he decided to suck it up and chance the encounter with the drill sergeant. Flint walked into the living room.

"Don't forget our early morning appointment," Beachhead said with a smirk.

Flint cursed under his breath. He had forgotten about the PT session. Checking his watch, he saw that he would need to return to base in only a few hours. He cursed himself further over his stupidity in making the bet.

Before he could answer, Beachhead continued. "If you're afraid that you're going to be worn out from your late night shenanigans, we could push it back to Sunday."

Normally, Flint would have risen to the bait of Beachhead insulting his manhood. But if swallowing his pride meant he got to enjoy a leisurely morning with Lady Jaye, than it was a small price to pay. "Sunday would be better," he said simply.

"See you then. But since the rest of the team will be off, be prepared to have my undivided attention."

"Whatever it takes," Flint said and walked out.

He arrived at the apartment a short time later. He had been gone a couple of hours, so he figured Lady Jaye had long since gone to bed. But she surprised him. She looked up from her reading and smiled at him as he walked through the door.

"I thought you'd be in bed already," he said.

"Yeah, me too. But that power nap helped. How did it go with General Colton?"

"Really well. Luckily he wasn't fazed by my late arrival. We talked for about a half hour, and he seemed satisfied with what he heard."

"Excellent. I bet that's a weight off of your mind."

"It is," Flint said. He took a seat next to her. "But I'm afraid there's good and bad news to come from it."

"Oh yeah? Hit me with the good first."

"Since I now don't have to prepare for the general's interrogation, I don't have to go back to the base until Sunday morning."

"Ooh, that is good news. I too could wait until Sunday to finish up my notes. So I guess this means we can have a whole day together?"

"Yep, so start thinking about what you want to do. I just want to stay fairly local, in case I get called back."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'm kind of leaning towards just having a lazy day lounging around."

"That sounds perfect," Flint said. He leaned over and kissed her.

"But, wait, what's the bad news?"

"Duke came to the conclusion that the reason why I was late was because I was with a woman."

Lady Jaye gasped. "Does he know it's me?"

"No. He assumed it was someone new. But he made sure to lecture me about being discreet so that you wouldn't get hurt."

Lady Jaye laughed and shook her head. "I have to say, I appreciate Duke looking out for me. But, man, this is really a convoluted mess."

"I know. I probably shouldn't have led him on, but I was so surprised that I couldn't think fast enough."

"No, it's okay. It makes for a good cover story."

"I guess. I just don't like the added layer of deception. It's one thing to protect ourselves by keeping quiet about the baby, but it feels even worse to blatantly lie to Duke about my activities."

"I know. And I'm sorry you had to do that. It's easier for me, since I have Scarlett that I can talk to. But right now it's a necessary evil. We only have to keep up the half-lies and mistruths for a little while longer. Once General Bradshaw leaves, I can come with you to tell Duke everything."

Flint grunted in assent. He still wasn't happy about it, but Lady Jaye was right that at the moment they didn't have a lot of good options. To distract him from his negative thoughts, he asked Lady Jaye what she was reading.

"Your Pregnancy Week by Week. It's very informative."

He put his hand on her stomach. "So what has Junior been up to this week?"

"He, or she, has been very busy. All of the vital organs have formed. It's kind of amazing to think that I have a miniature human about the size of a kumquat inside of me."

Flint wrapped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "It is amazing. But I'd have a better visual in my head if I knew what a kumquat was."

* * *

Lady Jaye ran down the strange hallway, looking for the way out. She could hear the sounds of a major battle raging outside, so she needed to see what was going on. Finally, at the end of the hall was a door, which she opened and gasped at the scene playing out before her.

The Joe were involved in a massive war, fighting what looked like every faction of Cobra, including a few kinds of troopers she had never seen before. But that wasn't what really had her attention. There were also large mechanical robots that seemed to be fighting for and against the Joes.

She watched the bizarre scene for a few moments trying to understand what was happening, when a nearby explosion snapped her to attention. She grabbed a javelin from the holder at her back but hesitated. She looked from the javelin to one of the robots and realized that her weapon was going to be useless in this field of battle. Her hand went to her abdomen. Going out there was putting Junior at risk. But then a cry from one of her teammates spurred her into action. She couldn't just sit idly by and watch her teammates get massacred.

So without a further thought she raced out onto the battlefield. As what typically happened in the heat of the battle, time seemed to slow down into series of stop-motion images. Somehow she managed to escape injury and she kept fighting until she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Stand down, soldier, the war is over," Duke said.

Lady Jaye looked out over the scene of carnage that lay before her. But Duke appeared to be correct. All who were left standing were Joes, or the robots she assumed to be friendly to their cause. Lady Jaye paused to catch her breath. She waited for the jubilant reaction that always happened after a successful battle. But instead this time she noticed most of the Joes either wept publicly or silently, or showed signs of grief in other ways.

She was about to ask what had happened, when Duke quieted the team down to address them. "Joes, I know we have suffered a great loss today. The idea that the Earth is destroyed is completely unfathomable."

Lady Jaye startled at the news. She thought for a brief moment that she misheard Duke, but based on the reactions of the Joes around her, it seemed she heard correctly. But how was that even possible? And that also led to the question of her current location. She looked up into the dark sky and quickly realized she was looking at a different set of stars. Her mind started to spin as she tried to process the extremely strange turn of events. Duke had finished talking but was surrounded by Joes that looked to have as many questions as she had.

So instead she decided she had to find Flint. If the news was true, he would be devastated by the loss of his family. She hadn't seen him on the field of battle, and she needed to make sure he was okay. And hopefully he would have the answers to her questions. Roadblock was one of the Joes closest to her, so she grabbed his arm. "Have you seen Flint?" she asked.

Roadblock's face took on a pained look. "Lady Jaye, I'm sorry. He was still on Earth."

She took a few stumbling steps back as she processed the news. It couldn't be true. She left Roadblock and pushed her way through the crowd surrounding Duke. "Where's Flint?" she asked in desperation.

Duke started to answer but choked up. That combined with the look on his face, was all the answer she needed. "Oh my God, no," she said as she started to run off, but she was stopped by the sudden appearance of General Hawk.

"Lady Jaye, wait. I need to talk to you," the general said. He then grabbed her arm and walked her over to where Scarlett and Cover Girl were standing.

"I know the three of you are trying to process this incomprehensible news," Hawk began. "And as hard as it is to think about moving on from here, we do have to consider the future. The last of humanity is out on this field, and if we need to keep the human race going, we are going to need to make some unpleasant choices."

Lady Jaye's poor tortured brain tried to comprehend what the general was saying. "Sir?" she asked.

Shipwreck joined the general's side. With a grin he said, "What the general is trying to say in nicer terms is that there are too many dudes for too few ladies. You three are the only women left, but you have the pick of the litter when it comes to future mates." Shipwreck pointed his arm out to the men still gathered around.

"And I'm afraid we're talking about the very near future," Hawk added.

Lady Jaye shook her head as she backed away from them. She was trying to come to grips with the idea that she was on a strange world inhabited by large robot men, where in the midst of a war she didn't remember starting Earth was destroyed killing just about everyone she knew, including Flint. And now General Hawk was ordering her to start propagating with the other Joes to keep the human race going?

What he didn't realize was that she was a step ahead of him with Junior growing inside of her. That brought a fresh wave of grief as she realized Flint would never know his son or daughter. As the tears overtook her again, General Hawk approached. "Lady Jaye, I'm sorry for your loss. I don't mean to belittle your pain, but I want you to know that we have all lost someone today. It's hard but we must come to grip with our pain, and work towards solidifying our future."

"But Hawk, I'm already pregnant."

A grin overtook Hawk's face. "That's excellent news. It proves you are fertile, and you will be bringing a child into the mix that will be outside our current gene pool. This is a great start."

"Start?" Lady Jaye asked dumbly.

"Yes. I'll have Dial-Tone crunch the numbers, but I'm estimating that the three of you could produce at least a dozen children each. Hopefully the majority would be girls, and then…"

Lady Jaye woke with a start. She must have cried out because Flint sat up as well and asked if she was okay. The images began to fade and as her bedroom began to come into focus she realized she had just had one of the most bizarre dreams. She laughed at herself and then reassured Flint who was still looking at her with concern. "I'm fine. Sorry about that. Just a crazy nightmare."

"I guess the pregnancy dreams are starting?"

"Maybe. But I think the bigger culprit was the awful and ridiculous apocalyptic movie I started watching while you were gone. I turned it off after twenty minutes but it apparently made quite the impression on my subconscious."

Flint rubbed her arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, believe me I don't." She lay back down and nestled herself against him.

A/N: For those who may not be following the IDW comics, Lady Jaye's dream is my homage to their GI Joe / Transformers crossover series, which is ending this month.


	18. Chapter 18

Lady Jaye awoke to the smell of sautéed garlic and onions. Her mouth began to water, and since her stomach seemed to be cooperating she had hopes that unlike breakfast and lunch, she would be able to eat a full dinner.

She stretched out in the bed. Saturday afternoon naps were becoming a habit for her. But once again she felt it was justified. After her nightmare the previous night, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Her sleeplessness then triggered an earlier than usual bout of morning sickness. Which basically meant she spent the whole day lying around uselessly.

She had felt bad for Flint, but he insisted that he didn't mind. But the fact that he was apparently toiling away in the kitchen making a true home cooked meal meant he must have been going a bit stir crazy. She got out of bed, and snuck up behind him. Wrapping her arms around him she said, "Mmm, it smells delicious."

"Hopefully it tastes that way too." He kissed her. "Feeling better?"

"Much. And now I'm starving." She took a piece of bread and dipped it into the pot of sauce.

"What do you think? I know it's still not as good as Roadblock's."

"Well, as I've always said, nothing can be as good as Roadblock's. But I think he's taught you well. This might be your best yet." When Flint had the other apartment, he would regularly make her dinner. Flint had known Roadblock from before they joined the Joes, so he had years' worth of accumulated recipes that he liked to try out on her. He hadn't quite reached Roadblock's skill level yet, but his meals were pretty good, which was far better than the barely edible meals she made. Normally her main critique of his cooking was his aversion to using a variety of spices. But since her stomach was now so sensitive, she actually liked his slightly blander version of marinara sauce.

Flint grinned. "Thanks. If you want an appetizer I have sliced mozzarella and tomatoes. "

"Wow. I'd love that." She took a seat at the small kitchen table.

Flint reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a plate that he put in front of Lady Jaye. "Before you get too impressed, that part is all store bought."

"But still, I like that you did all this for me."

Flint's grin grew larger, and then he shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I got bored watching football so I decided to run to the store. At that point the menu created itself."

"Yeah, I'm sorry that this afternoon turned into a bust."

"Al, it's okay. I'm glad you're taking the time to rest. I also used the downtime to do some thinking." He sat down next to her. "Having General Bradshaw confirm that he is leaving is a good thing for us. But since we still don't know when that will be, I think you should admit your pregnancy to him."

Lady Jaye opened her mouth to argue the point but then she closed it as she considered the implications. Coming clean would make her life easier. She wouldn't be under the constant stress of someone finding out her secret. Plus she would have a valid medical reason for missing out on PT or other activities if her morning sickness became too bad.

But as quickly as she came up with the positive reasons, she came up with the negative. In an ideal world she could make that announcement without the scrutiny that followed, but she didn't think that was the case with the Joes. General Bradshaw would probably ask basic questions which she could easily deflect. However, the problem lay with her closer friends on the team. "Dash, I admit that at first this seems like a good idea. But I'm not sure if it is. Think about how the rumor mill works on the Joes. They won't be satisfied until they know who the father of my baby is."

"The answer is simple. It's none of their business."

"And I agree with you. But it's not going to stop them from hypothesizing. And really there are only two choices for them. It's either yours, or it's not. Obviously if too many discuss the first possibility, General Bradshaw could hear about it. And even the second one is dangerous. We supposedly only broke up a month ago. And in that time I either had a very careless one night stand, or I met my next true love and now we're starting a family. Your name is still sure to come up."

"I don't know. We've done a pretty good job of quelling any rumors and talk that have happened so far."

"True, but we're upping the ante by introducing a baby. Besides didn't you say you weren't going to deny being the father?"

Flint reached for her hand. "I said that before I saw how much you've suffered the last couple of weeks. If putting aside my macho pride helps you out, than that's what I need to do."

"But it's not. I'm still going to have awful morning sickness whether I tell people or not. I have, though, been considering another possibility. Depending on how much work General Bradshaw wants me to do the next few days, and how bad I continue to feel, I may take some leave."

"I think that's a great idea."

"I do too. Between vacations cut short or outright canceled over the last few years, I have amassed a nice stockpile of days. I know I'm going to want to save the majority for after the baby, but I can take a week or ten days without a problem."

"And then what?"

"Well hopefully by that point, my morning sickness will be better. I can come back and do my job without complications."

"For how long? Alison, this isn't going to go away. You may start to feel better, but that doesn't change the end result."

Lady Jaye rubbed at her forehead. "I'm well aware of that. Dash, what point are you trying to make?"

"I'm not sure I have one." Flint sighed. "Before I got called back to the base last night, I spent some time thinking about our current situation and whether all of our subterfuge was worth it. I think we should talk about the options now open to us."

Lady Jaye went quiet. After officer's call, she did think about the idea of transferring, but she quickly dismissed it. Life with the Joes was not currently ideal, but she still believed it was better than going to a different duty station. "I'm not going to voluntarily transfer. I'm actually a little surprised you want to discuss this, because we definitely can't transfer anywhere together."

"You're right, I don't want to force us into a separation. But I'm not talking about transferring, I was actually thinking that maybe we should look into our retirement options."

Lady Jaye startled and then she shook her head with a bitter laugh. "Now I see your point. You're using pronouns like 'we' and 'our', but I think what you're trying to say is that you want me to quit."

"No, I don't necessarily want that, I just think it is one option to consider. Ideally I'd love to continue on as we are, but I'm not sure if we can. Even if everything goes our way and we're allowed to stay with the Joes how do we do that with a baby at home?"

Lady Jaye stared at Flint for a moment as she felt her anger rising. Her pregnancy hormones have wreaked havoc on her emotions and her mental state, so it didn't take much to set her off. Listening to Flint spout sexist bullshit at her was definitely enough to cause her to lose her temper. "There are many dual career military families finding a way to make it work. I assumed we would be one of them." Flint went to argue but she quieted him and continued. "But if we can't, why is it that I have to be the one to quit?"

"I never said that. I meant it that we both should look at our retirement options."

Lady Jaye scoffed. "So if I asked you to quit, you would do it?"

"I told you I would," Flint said.

Lady Jaye thought back to the conversation they had after she told him she was pregnant. "I just assumed you said that to appease me. Or you were in a state of shock."

"No, I meant it. If this is what you want me to do, I will broach the topic with General Bradshaw. I can't promise that I can walk away immediately, but I can see what my options are."

As quickly as her anger built up, it dissipated. Lady Jaye was touched that Flint would give up his position as third in command of the Joe team and a pending promotion for her. And while that would be a way out of their predicament, she could never ask him to do it. "No, I don't want you to do that. You'll be giving up too much. But I also don't want to quit."

Flint wrapped his arm around her. "Alison, I would never force you to do anything you don't want to do. I just want to keep our options and the lines of communication open." He stood up and kissed the top of her head. "Everything should be done, so are you ready to eat?"

Lady Jaye nodded. She tried to focus her attention on the meal, but she kept losing herself in various trains of thought. Flint did his best to keep up a one sided conversation but after the second time she had to ask him to repeat a question he leaned back and sighed. "Well, I guess I ruined dinner."

"You didn't ruin it, everything was delicious. You just got me thinking, which is something I haven't done a lot of since I found out about the baby. I haven't exactly been ignoring my pregnancy, because my morning sickness is a constant reminder, but I have done a good job of trying not to dwell too much on what is going to happen a few months from now. I know that soon I am going to need to confront my future, but right now I'm just trying to get through each day as they come."

Flint let out a sigh and then nodded. "With all of the upheaval of the last few weeks, that's probably the best approach. We could come up with the perfect plan right now, and it could be derailed by the next phone call from DC."

"Exactly," Lady Jaye said as she stood up to clear the plates. She still had the nagging suspicion that continuing the deception without a clear exit plan might one day come back to bite them. But it still seemed a better course of action than settling for a less than ideal option, when a better choice might present itself in the future.

"Hey, sit down. I'll clean up." Flint said.

"No, you cooked. The least I could do is wash the dishes. Besides, I've been sitting or lying down all day."

"How about we wait on the dishes and take a walk? It's a beautiful night out."

Lady Jaye agreed. They piled the dishes in the sink, and then walked outside. As Flint had said, it was one of those perfect fall Arizonan nights. The two grabbed each other's hands and followed the path that meandered through the apartment complex. Even though the sun had set, between the light from the moon and the street lamps, they could see just fine. "This reminds me of the first moonlit walk we took," Flint said.

"The time we barely escaped Cobra's House of Horrors?" Lady Jaye looked around at the apartments surrounding them. "I'm not quite sure how this resembles a Cobra Island Getaway."

Flint let out a laugh. "Okay, so the scenery isn't quite the same, but the point is I enjoyed our walk alone back then, and I'm enjoying this one now. I'm glad I asked you to join me on the beach that night."

Lady Jaye smiled at the memory. "Actually, I was the one who asked you. I wanted to show you how grateful I was that you cheated death earlier that day. And I also wanted to spare Alpine from your wrath."

Flint remained quiet, and Lady Jaye assumed he was reminiscing about the past. But his next question surprised her. "How many Joes do you think will need to transfer out to make DC happy?"

"That's not an easy answer. Scarlett and I started to crunch the numbers but there were too many variables. First off, we're not even sure what the magic budgetary number is. And even if we knew it there are too many factors like pay grade of the Joes that do leave, and how many other cuts we make. But if you want a ballpark estimate, I'd say at least twenty percent."

Flint whistled. "Damn. I was hoping you'd say maybe ten Joes at the most."

Lady Jaye shrugged. "I do hope I'm wrong. So who do you think are the most likely candidates?"

Flint walked a few steps before he answered. "I think the majority are going to come from either the guys who have been here the longest, who have put their time in and are ready for a new challenge, or from the new guys, who haven't formed a strong attachment to the team. I also think the highly specialized guys might be looking to use their talents elsewhere."

The answer made sense to Lady Jaye, and she agreed with Flint's assessment. As they continued to walk on in silence she began to compile a list of the most likely candidates. Technically, she and Flint could be considered one of the old-timers, but she focused on the members that were already on the Joe team when she joined. Two names stood out at once, Scarlett and Cover Girl, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She knew Scarlett wasn't going anywhere, and Cover Girl seemed unlikely to leave her motor pool. Duke too was safe. But that still left a long list of guys she would hate to see leave. Especially if she was wrong about the others in her year group. She couldn't imagine a Joe team that didn't include Alpine and Bazooka, or Gung-Ho, or Roadblock, or Ripcord and Ace. The more names she thought about, the sadder she became.

"So I guess that means we need to get used to saying goodbye," she finally said.

Flint squeezed her hand. "I'm not going to lie, I'm sure the next few weeks are going to be tough. But I am still looking forward to the introduction we'll get to have next spring."

Lady Jaye nodded. The arrival of Junior was something to look forward to. She also began to wonder if there was another event that they could look forward to. Her feelings on a proposal and marriage hadn't changed with her pregnancy. She still didn't need the grand romantic gesture, although she suspected that Flint was probably under greater pressure now to provide one. She also reminded herself that she didn't necessarily have to wait for him to make the move, so throwing caution to the wind she asked, "Do you think that maybe there might be a wedding to look forward to as well?"

Flint stopped abruptly in his tracks and began to turn various shades of red. When he tried to stammer out a series of explanations and apologies, Lady Jaye instantly regretted bringing up the topic. She went over to him and began to rub his arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."

Flint took a couple of more minutes to compose himself. He reached for the beret that wasn't on his head, but instead ran his fingers through his hair. "No, I need to be the one to apologize." He grabbed both of her hands. "Alison, I hope it's no secret that I'm madly in love with you and have been for a long time now."

His declaration left her speechless, so she could only nod. He continued. "And I've had the idea of marriage and a proposal on my mind for a while. I just made the mistake of waiting for the perfect moment that never came. Then General Bradshaw arrived, so while my desire to be engaged to you never wavered, I knew I had to wait. However, when you began to question my loyalty, I realized I had to act. I was ready to do it in DC, but your news trumped mine. I probably should have done it then anyway, but I thought it was going to be hard enough to keep one secret from our friends and family, never mind two. I'm sorry if this being in limbo has added to your stress, because that's not what I want."

Lady Jaye smiled at him and then hugged him. "It hasn't. I do admit that I have been curious as to what your plans have been, but I haven't been stressing about it. Dash, I've never needed a grand gesture from you to prove your love, so don't make yourself crazy trying to plan one. And honestly, with Junior on the way now, it's more important to me that we are on the same page when it comes to marriage."

"I do want to marry you. Before Junior is born."

"Good. So do I." Lady Jaye kissed him.

Flint returned the kiss. They stayed like that for a few moments and then he pulled away. "Do you want me to give you the ring?"

Lady Jaye startled. "You already have a ring?"

"I told you I was very serious about a proposal."

While she wanted to see what kind of ring he had picked out, she knew she also wanted to wait. Flint was right that to go back to Joe HQ the following day with another secret was too much to bear. "No, I want to wait until General Bradshaw leaves and we can announce to all that we are getting married and having a baby."

Flint kissed her again. "Sounds like a plan. But in the meantime how about we head back home where we can pretend to celebrate a proposal?"


	19. Chapter 19

Flint walked into officers' call and was happy to see a room full of people. He hadn't agreed with General Bradshaw's policy of limiting their morning meetings to only the command staff. Yes, it had made the OC shorter and more efficient, as it eliminated a lot of the petty bullshit that sometimes occurred during Hawk's meetings. But some of their best plans came from OC sessions, and that was more likely to happen when there were a variety of personalities and minds in the room strategizing. So when General Bradshaw suggested that they have one 'open' session a week, Flint thought it was a good idea, and he hoped that it would be expanded upon.

He grabbed a seat in between Duke and Falcon and quickly realized that the one person missing was Lady Jaye. Flint looked at his watch and saw that she still had a couple of minutes until the meeting started. It wasn't unusual that she was running late, but Flint was still worried about her. He tried to make eye contact with Scarlett, but she was in deep conversation with Stalker.

"Jaye's cutting it awfully close," Duke said. "Do you know where she is?"

Flint shook his head. "I haven't seen her since yesterday." He had hoped that they would be able to do a third night at the apartment, but after Lady Jaye had gotten bogged down with finishing her report for General Bradshaw, they had both decided that it was better that they stay on base Sunday night.

Scarlett stood up and walked over to the coffee station. Flint joined her. "Where's your roommate?"

"I'll be surprised if she makes it. She's been in the bathroom since she got back from her workout."

Flint felt awful. He debated throwing caution to the wind and going to see her, but General Bradshaw entered the room. Flint took his seat, and a few moments later Lady Jaye ran in. Scarlett was right, she did look terrible. She flashed him half a smile as she took her seat.

Falcon muttered a series of unflattering comments regarding Lady Jaye. Flint was going to call him on it, but the meeting started. He barely paid attention as his focus was totally on Lady Jaye. His heart went out to her as he watched her struggle to make it through the meeting. And he hated that there was absolutely nothing that he could do to help her out. It really was unfair that women bore the whole burden of pregnancy, while the men could do nothing but watch.

He did get an opportunity to help her in a small way. When General Bradshaw called on her to present her report, Flint interrupted. "I'm sorry sir, that's not quite ready yet. Lady Jaye asked me to review it yesterday, and I'm still working on it."

"Will it be done today?"

"Yes, sir. I'm going to make it my top priority once we are done here."

General Bradshaw nodded. "I want it on my desk as soon as it's done."

Flint looked over to Lady Jaye who was glaring at him. To anyone in the room it looked like she was disgusted with him for not getting the report done. However, he knew she was annoyed at him for interfering.

As soon as the OC wrapped up, Lady Jaye raced from the room. Flint too stood up and went to follow her out. Consequences be damned, he wanted to make sure she was okay. However, Falcon grabbed his arm. "Flint, I need to talk to you."

"Can it wait?"

"No, this is important." Falcon cocked his head towards the hallway, and Flint reluctantly followed him out. They walked down the hall to put some distance between them and the conference room. When Falcon was sure they were out of earshot he finally spoke. "Listen, Flint, I know you're probably not the best person to come to with this, but I'm not sure who else to turn to. I already talked to Scarlett and she told me to mind my own business. But I'm Lady Jaye's boss now, and I can't just ignore what I'm seeing."

Flint's heart began to pound, but he tried to remain calm. "Get to the point, Falcon."

Falcon exhaled sharply. "I'm trying. I know how hard it is to get over a breakup, especially with someone you work with. Kimi and I may not have been together long, but it was still hard seeing her day after day once we called it quits. So I can only imagine how much harder it must be for two that had such a long history together as you and Jaye. But that still doesn't excuse her current self-destructive behavior."

Flint couldn't clamp down on his anger any longer. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Come on, Flint, you can't be that blind. Look at how she came into this morning's meeting. She was late and disheveled, and obviously had a rough night. And this isn't the first time. I can give you a list of mornings when she looked hungover as all hell."

Flint almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "Wait, so you think she's spending her nights drinking away her sorrows?"

"You don't?" Falcon countered. "Do you have another explanation for her appearance?"

 _Yeah, I do. But I can't tell you._ Flint thought. Realizing he now had a perfect excuse to see Lady Jaye, he said simply, "I'll go talk to her."

"Thanks," Falcon said. "Even though Scarlett said this is none of my business. I still don't want to see her hurt."

"You and me both," Flint said as he turned and headed towards the barracks.

He knocked on Lady Jaye's door but she didn't answer. The door was unlocked, so he hoped that she wouldn't mind that he let himself in. He saw that the bathroom door was closed, and he assumed she was in there. He took a seat on the couch and waited for her to come out. When she did, she looked at him and shook her head with a frown. "Dash, I'm getting really tired of this," she said as she collapsed in his arms.

He held her until she got herself under control. He kissed the top of her head and asked. "Do you feel better?"

"Actually, I do." She pulled away from him and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. You're going through a lot. I'm just glad I was here for you."

She squeezed his arm. "I'm glad you were here too. But that still doesn't excuse my behavior. I should be stronger than this. I'm part of an elite military organization. You'd think I could handle something that millions of women have experienced."

"Breaking down over what you've gone through the last few weeks doesn't make you any less of a Joe. I only know part of what you've experienced based on what I've seen and what Scarlett has told me. And I know there is not one person on this base that would be able to handle it any better than you have. I know if that was me, I never would have made the meeting this morning."

"It would have been fine if I felt okay during the meeting. But I had to fight off a few nausea attacks. At one point I thought for sure I was going to vomit all over the table."

"I could tell. That's why I made the excuse to delay your report."

Her face took on a brief dark look, but than her gaze softened. "You shouldn't have done that, but I am glad you did."

Flint squeezed her shoulders. "Alison, I want to do whatever I can to help you."

She smiled at him. "Well, since you told the general you were going to review my report, do you want to read through it?"

"I'd be happy to. And then I can deliver it to him once I'm done."

Lady Jaye shook her head. "No, I want to do it. It's my report, so I should bring it to him."

"You still don't look good. Don't you want to rest a little longer?"

"I'll be fine by the time you're done. In fact I am feeling a little better," Lady Jaye said as she stood up. She took a couple of steps, but then promptly sat back down. "Damn it. Maybe not." Her hand went to her stomach as she rested her head back on the couch. "The good news is that I was reading that suffering from morning sickness is a sign that all is well. If that's true, I think I have one of the healthiest babies in the world."

* * *

The next morning, Lady Jaye woke up and was happy to see that her nausea that had finally abated late the previous morning was still being held at bay. It was amazing how quickly she could go from being literally sick to her stomach, to feeling perfectly normal. She had made such a quick turnaround that she had been able to turn in her report right after lunch.

Not that she needed to be at her best at that time, because General Bradshaw had glanced through it, thanked her for her time and effort and dismissed her less than two minutes after she walked through the door.

Reminiscing on it brought on a fresh wave of annoyance. She allowed herself a leisurely couple of minutes to dwell on it, but then she forced herself to get up. Once she stood up out of bed, she was hit with an attack. Unlike the previous morning, she didn't think she needed to empty her stomach. However, this time she was hit with a wave of dizziness.

She sat back on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. She breathed through the wave of vertigo, and once it passed she tried standing again. She was fine for a few moments, so she attempted to get dressed. Once that was accomplished, she slowly walked into the living room. The vertigo wasn't as bad as when she first woke up, but she knew the minute she tried anything strenuous, it was going to knock her flat.

The sensible solution would be to call out of PT. But she knew that Beachhead wasn't going to take her skipping PT lightly. So she decided that even though it was going to be torture, she was going to complete the PT session.

She started to take a drink of water, but that made her stomach begin to turn. So she left the room and made her way outside. It wasn't the hottest morning she had ever encountered on base, but it was still warm enough to worsen her symptoms.

As the others stretched, she stood off to the side to take deep breaths and try to will her body to make a recovery. There was a smaller than usual group out on the course, which was good and bad. It meant less people to notice just how under the weather she was, but it also meant that Beachhead would have more time to focus on her lackluster performance. She noticed that Flint wasn't on the course either. Beachhead must have had him start earlier than the others.

Beachhead blew his whistle and told the Joes he wanted them to go on a "light" four mile jog. Lady Jaye started and knew within a few steps that she was not going to be able to complete the run. Her head starting spinning bad enough to make her nauseous. So even though her pride was a powerful thing, she stopped. She had reached the point where she was afraid that she was going to hurt herself or the baby, and that was a risk she didn't want to take.

"Lady Jaye, what are you doing?"

"Beach, I'm sorry. I just can't today." She bent over and put her hand on her knees. She was starting to fear she might actually throw up on the course.

"Oh poor baby. What's wrong? Do you have some extra painful cramps today?"

She turned her head slightly to stare at Beachhead. At least his response showed he was clueless about the truth. "If I say yes, will that get me out of this?"

"You should know me better than that. Of course not. You used up all of your free passes, so put on your big girl panties and start running."

A few different arguments ran through her head. But she didn't have the strength to fight him. So she quietly and simply said. "No."

Beachhead cocked his head toward her. "Excuse me?"

She stood up. "I said no. You can write me up, give me KP duty, suspend me, or whatever you need to do. It's not going to get me to run the course this morning. Once I stop feeling like death warmed over, I'll be more than happy to continue this. Until then, I'm going to bed."

Lady Jaye wanted to storm off, but she still didn't have the energy. Instead she settled for walking away as quickly as she could while keeping her head held high. She fully expected Beachhead to not let her go without a fight, and he didn't disappoint me. He barked her name, and when she didn't stop he chased her down. "Whoa! You don't just get to walk away."

She opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by the arrival of General Bradshaw. "Is there a problem here?"

Beachhead cocked a thumb towards Lady Jaye. "She apparently thinks PT is now optional."

Lady Jaye sighed. "Sir, I apologize. I've been fighting the flu. It's hitting me especially hard this morning."

General Bradshaw frowned at her. "Have you been to medical?"

Lady Jaye said a silent prayer in thanks of medical privacy. "I saw Lifeline a few days ago, but I can pay him another visit, since I'm not any better."

"Do it. Once you are done with him, and are up to it, I want you to see me in my office. Preferably before the end of the morning."

Lady Jaye nodded, and she double-timed it back into the base. Her vertigo was replaced by an intense nausea wave, and she knew that if she didn't get to a bathroom she was going to make a mess of things. A few minutes later she exited the women's room feeling a bit better.

She paused in the hallway as she contemplated her next move. She could keep up the pretense, and go see Lifeline who was only going to continue his lecture from when she first told him she was pregnant. She could skip that step, and go right to General Bradshaw's office who too was probably going to lecture her on her behavior. As she debated her course of action, she saw that Flint was heading towards her, and she braced herself for his lecture.

"Are you okay? I heard about your ruckus on the field once I got back from my run."

"I'm better now. It was the same shit, different day, and I just couldn't do Beachhead's PT this morning. I think I'm the first one to walk off his field mid-PT and live."

Flint frowned. "I'm sorry you're still feeling so bad. What do you want to do, go back to your room?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "I can't. General Bradshaw came out to intervene. He wants me to pay him a visit." She saw the worried look across his face, so she quickly continued. "But I really am okay now."

Flint too shook his head. "You can't keep doing this."

"I know. And since I backed myself into a corner with Beachhead, I'm going to put in for leave. I already told the general I was suffering from the flu, so hopefully he'll grant it."

"Let me know if that becomes a problem, and I'll talk to him."

"Okay, I'll come find you once I'm done." But her first stop was going to be the commissary. She hoped that by eating something light would help keep another nausea attack at bay.

While there she ran into Cross Country who looked as miserable as she felt. She sat down next to him and began to nibble on a croissant. "Hey, Cross, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really. I'm just annoyed by all the new rules and regulations around here."

"Speaking of which, I like your haircut," Lady Jaye said with a smirk.

"Ugh," Cross Country said as he ran his fingers through his much shorter locks. "This is only one example. I do get that the general wants us to conform more to standard military standards, but did he have to hit us with so many changes at once?"

Lady Jaye settled back. She figured she could take a few minutes to commiserate with Cross Country. A bitch session may put her in the perfect frame of mind to meet with the general. "I totally agree. I think we all have a list of grievances here. What's your main beef with the general?"

"Remember the tweaks I made to all of the HAVOCs?"

Lady Jaye smirked. "You mean the quote-unquote upgrades to the music system?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I made a couple of new country music fans because of it. But, yeah, that's what I'm talking about. The general made me dismantle it. He claims it could be a distraction in the field." Cross Country sighed. "I know it sounds silly, and it's really a minor complaint, but after the changes to our uniforms, our schedules, and even our hair, it's just the final straw."

Lady Jaye nodded. She knew exactly how Cross Country felt. And it was nice to hear there were even more Joes balking at the changes. She patted his arm. "Welcome to the club. Scarlett, Cover Girl and I have had many late night chats about how unhappy we are with the general's reign."

"Ooh? Is this the table where we can whine about the new guy?" Shipwreck asked as he took a seat. "My offering is that I had to ship Polly off to the Phoenix zoo yesterday."

"Oh, 'Wreck, I'm sorry."

He waved her off. "I appreciate it. But don't worry, I told them he's only on loan to them. I fully intend to get him back the minute Bradshaw transfers out of here. Although, if you do want to comfort me in my time of grieving…" Shipwreck said with a wink and a raised eyebrow.

Lady Jaye laughed at his ridiculous attempt of flirting with her. "Don't hold your breath."

Cross Country turned towards Shipwreck. "Are the rumors true that the general is really leaving?"

Shipwreck shrugged. "Don't ask me, ask her. She's probably been working on his transfer paperwork."

Lady Jaye shook her head. "Nope. The general took the personnel job away from me."

Cross Country whistled. "So he really is making friends all around here."

"You don't know the half of it. He claimed it was to help out my workload so I can focus more of my energy on the intelligence aspects. But then he's barely interested in any work I do on the intelligence front. Honestly, I think he's just trying to phase out my usefulness to the team." Lady Jaye rose. "And speaking of the man of the moment, I have to meet with him. I was a bad girl on Beach's PT course this morning, so he wants to have a chat with me."

Shipwreck groaned. "Don't talk about yourself as a bad girl. It puts too many erotic images in my head."

Lady Jaye didn't dignify his comment with a response. On the way to General Bradshaw's office she replayed the conversation in her head. Cross Country was right that each individual action seemed like a minor complaint, but taken as a whole, General Bradshaw was eroding the morale of the team. Maybe they had gotten pampered and spoiled by Hawk's leadership, but each and every member had worked hard to get and stay on the Joe team, so a few perks were justified. And Hawk hadn't been a total pushover. He disciplined the Joes when it was needed. He just hadn't felt it was necessary to uphold each and every rule of the US Army.

Lady Jaye paused down the hall from the general's office. She needed to get her thoughts in order before she talked to General Bradshaw. There was a part of her that wondered if Flint's suggestion to resign was the right call. However, she still balked at the idea. To quit under the guise that she couldn't hack General Bradshaw's leadership felt like she was letting him win. But even worse, to quit because of the truth of her situation meant she was just proving the general's sexist stereotypes true. Plus she wasn't convinced that quitting would spare Flint from any repercussions.

And the simple truth was that she loved the Joe team. The men and women she worked with were like family to her, and she didn't want to leave them. Even if she wasn't totally happy, she still held on to the thought that this was only a temporary low. She truly believed that the general's time on the Joes was short lived, and then these weeks would be just a bad memory.

So she just needed to get through that time. And a good start was taking leave. She just needed to come up with a valid reason, if the general asked why she was requesting the time off. Deciding she would wing an explanation if and when the question came up, she knocked on his door.

It turned out that an excuse wasn't necessary, as the general had come up with one of his won. "Ah, Lady Jaye. I was wondering when you were going to finally arrive."

Lady Jaye willed herself to remain calm. But she kept herself on her best behavior. "I apologize, sir. I got hung up in the commissary."

The general nodded slightly. He then pushed a couple of pamphlets towards her. "I've received reports from Joes that are concerned about your behavior these last few weeks. Everyone has been very discreet, and quite frankly I don't need to or want to know the details, but apparently you have some issues in your personal life than has started to affect your performance here. I noticed it myself yesterday when you were late with your report."

Lady Jaye looked down at the literature and did a double take once she saw it was geared towards struggles with alcohol. She stayed quiet as she tried to process the unexpected turn of events. On one hand, it gave her a cover story for her vomiting attacks. On the other hand, she didn't like the idea of being branded with a drinking problem. She wondered who the concerned individuals were that came up with the theory.

So she decided her best course of action was to be vague. "Sir, I admit that I haven't been at my best the last couple of weeks, but I am not an alcoholic."

"And I'm not saying you are. I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to know for sure how serious a problem this is, but I'm hoping that a few days away from here in addition to reaching out to a professional may help you."

Lady Jaye nodded. "I believe you're right, sir. I do have some things I need to work through. I was going to ask you for a week or two of leave."

"Granted. From what I read in your files, you have family on the East Coast? Maybe a trip back home will be very therapeutic."

Again, Lady Jaye bit back the response she wanted to make. The general's comment proved just how little he knew about her. But she was getting her leave without him being even close to the truth of why she needed it. "Thank you, sir," she said and waited to be dismissed.

"I'd like you to do one thing before you go. Have you thought about your future with this team?"

Lady Jaye had to bite down on a laugh. Lately that was all she thought about. "Yes, sir, I was thinking," she began but the general waved for her to stop.

"I think that's a better conversation for Falcon. Tell him your thoughts before you leave so that he knows where we stand with our intelligence department."

She was then dismissed. Fuming, she walked out into the hallway and made a beeline for Flint's office. As she walked in, she noticed a couple of Greenshirts hanging around, so she went back into acting mode. She shook her head and said with annoyance, "Flint, I don't know what the hell else you're expecting from this report."

Luckily, he too jumped into the act. "And I don't understand why you're having such an issue with this." He looked over her shoulder. "Gentlemen, do you need me for something?"

Both mumbled an excuse and walked down the hall. Once Lady Jaye was sure that the two were alone, she pulled out the pamphlet that General Bradshaw had given her and slapped it down on Flint's desk. "The General offered me the time off. However, one of the many issues that came from our little chat is that he thinks I have a drinking problem."

Not that she was expecting him to be shocked and appalled by her statement, but she did think he at the very least would be slightly surprised. When he didn't respond she questioned him. "Have I been that out of it that I hadn't noticed the latest rumor is about me being an alcoholic?"

"No, I don't think it's that widespread. At least not that I've heard. But Falcon did come to me yesterday with this theory."

"Ah, so he's the concerned individual. And I bet Beachhead gave the general quite the earful as well. So wait, if you knew about this, why didn't you give me the heads up before I met with Bradshaw? I could have been much better prepared."

"Because I didn't think Falcon was going to go to the general. After your appearance in OC yesterday, he asked me to talk to you. But you felt so bad, I didn't have the heart to tell you."

Lady Jaye muttered under her breath. "And then the S.O.B. ratted me out to the general. I really can't wait to meet with him now."

"You have to meet with Falcon? Why?"

"General Bradshaw wants me to give him my long range plan for the team. I would have told the general directly, but he wasn't interested. So now I have an excuse to give Falcon a piece of my mind."

"I know you're annoyed at him, and I was too when he confronted me, but I do think he means well."

Lady Jaye exhaled sharply. "I give him credit for at least caring about me. That's more than I can say about General Bradshaw."

Flint didn't rise to the challenge of defending the general. Instead he asked, "So what did you say to him when he accused you of being an alcoholic?"

"Well, I told him I wasn't one. But I did say that I needed the time off to work through some things. I'm hoping he thinks I have just been hitting the sauce a little too much lately, and that taking a little vacation will cure me of my problems."

"Where are you going to go?"

"Honestly, with as bad as I've felt, I'm just looking forward to resting at the apartment. Although I like the idea of everyone else thinking I've taken a trip to the Vineyard."

"I hope you do at least want one visitor," Flint said with a smile and a wink.

"I do," Lady Jaye replied with a mischievous grin of her own. "I think Shipwreck would make an excellent movie night cohort." She then walked out of the office before he could respond.

Her next stop was Falcon's office. Her conversation with Flint had cooled her earlier anger at the Green Beret, and as she approached his door she was confident in her ability to keep a level head. However, as soon as she entered his office and Falcon flashed her an insincere smile while he asked her how she was feeling, her anger returned.

She marched over to his desk and slammed her hands down. "First off, I'm fine. Thank you for finally asking me directly and not relying on hearsay. Secondly, if you have an issue with my behavior or work ethic, again, I would appreciate it if you would confront me with any problems as opposed to taking it to the members of our command staff. And finally, I love this team and have no plans to leave it any time soon. So since I am now being forced to take some time to deal with my problems, both real and imagined, I am doing my duty and reporting to you with my intentions. If you need me in the next few days, Scarlett will know how to contact me."

Lady Jaye then walked out leaving an incredulous Falcon gaping at her.


	20. Chapter 20

Lady Jaye groaned as she heard the phone ring. Reluctantly, she hit the pause button and rose from the couch. She laughed at herself as she wiped away at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. Her favorite character had just been killed off a TV show that she had gotten hooked on the previous day. The fact that she was legitimately upset over the plot twist showed just how far into the fantasy life she had fallen.

She recognized Scarlett's number and she answered the phone. She was greeted with a chipper Scarlett. "Good morning! How's your life of leisure going?"

"I have to admit, it's been very relaxing," Lady Jaye said.

"That's good to hear. Have you been feeling better?"

"A little. I still am sick most of the morning, but it's a lot easier knowing I don't have to force myself to do PT or OC."

"I'm glad you're getting the rest you need. Are you free for lunch today? I have something I want to talk to you about."

Lady Jaye looked down at the lounge wear she had been wearing for too many consecutive hours. She then glanced at the paused image on the TV. She was a bit embarrassed by how much of a desire she had to make an excuse and blow off Scarlett. But she was also curious as to the reason for a lunch date. So deciding that it would be good for her to shower and get out of the apartment, they agreed on a time and location.

She watched the end of the episode, just to bring herself closure and then she showered. About an hour later she met Scarlett. They were shown to a table, and after they ordered their lunch, Lady Jaye took a sip of her water and asked Scarlett the reason for the get together.

Scarlett too took a long sip of her drink. "Have you heard about Snakes and Jinx leaving for Japan to train with the Arishakage clan?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"I'm not surprised. Both have been very quiet about their future plans. Snake Eyes was asked to return to Japan to help train the newest Arishakage recruits. He accepted, and asked Jinx to come along with him to complete her training. He then offered me a spot as well."

Lady Jaye was impressed. "Wow. That's quite an honor."

"I know. I have to admit I was shocked. The two of us have sparred together, but I never thought that he considered me good enough to join him at the clan. Once he offered me the position, I put in a request to transfer. General Bradshaw approved it this morning. So, I'm moving to Japan!"

The news shocked Lady Jaye. "Wait, when did this all happen? I haven't been gone from HQ that long."

Scarlett looked sheepish. "I admit this has been in the works for a couple of weeks. I haven't told you because I wasn't totally convinced it was going to happen, and you have been dealing with enough as it is."

Lady Jaye tried really hard to be happy for her friend. But, try as she might, it was yet another upheaval in her life. Despite the breaking of her heart, she tried to put on a good show. She lifted her water glass and said, "Cheers! I'm so happy for you!"

Scarlett laughed. "For an actress, you're a terrible liar."

Lady Jaye smiled. "I'm not lying. I am happy for you. But I'm sad for myself. You're my voice of reason, and thanks to the web of lies I've weaved, the only friend I can really talk to these days. Plus I was hoping you would volunteer as a baby-sitter."

Scarlett reached over and patted her hand. "I'm not permanently relocating, so I'll be back to meet the little one."

The waiter arrived with their food. While they both ate Scarlett chatted happily about her transfer. She told Lady Jaye about the famous masters she would not only get to meet, but to work with. She then rattled off the places she wanted to visit in Japan, as well as the different countries in the area.

Lady Jaye nodded, "It really does sound like an amazing opportunity. But are you okay with such a drastic career change?"

"I am because my first love was martial arts. I grew up with it, and my childhood dream was to become a ninja master. Obviously, that wasn't realistic so I needed a back-up plan. The army gave me the opportunity to learn real world skills while pursuing my training. My original plan when I joined the Joes was to pair off with Snake-Eyes. However, they need me in the intelligence department. It was supposed to be only a temporary assignment. Once you joined, I had every intention of getting back to my training, but thanks to Cobra's amazing ability to churn out one harebrained scheme after another, I knew you needed the extra set of hands.

"Over the years I learned that while I was good at my job, I didn't have the same knack for it that you did. Plus I don't love the intelligence gathering like you do. Now, you and the Joes don't need me anymore. Chuckles is extremely talented, and," she paused as she shook her head with a smile. "I will deny this if you ever tell him I said this, but Falcon has shown a surprising talent for the job as well."

Lady Jaye scoffed. "Based on how I left things with Falcon the other day, you don't have to worry about me telling him what you said." She studied her friend a moment. "So I guess then this isn't just a way of getting away from Duke?"

Scarlett looked down at her plate. "No," she said simply.

Lady Jaye laughed. "Now who's lying?"

"Like you, I do mean it. Sort of. I admit in the beginning, I was looking to get away from him. But as time went on, I realized there were more things I was unhappy with here than just the deterioration of my relationship. I had a great run with the Joes, but now it's time to move on." Scarlet looked down at her watch and cursed. "Damn, this went a lot longer than I expected. I hate to eat and run, but I have to get back to HQ. Do you feel up to starting an informal turnover while you're on leave? I could come by tomorrow with some files."

"I'll try to make room in my busy schedule," Lady Jaye said with a smile. Scarlett gave her one last hug and then she was off.

Lady Jaye sat at the table for a few minutes as she contemplated what other changes she was going to suffer through. With a sigh she stood up and left the restaurant as well. On the drive home she tried to console herself with the thought that she was just experiencing the normal flow of adulthood. Friendships came and went. Jobs were lost, marriages were made, children were born. Her problem was that she had basically been in a state of suspended animation the last few years while she had been devoting all of her time and energy in fighting Cobra. But now life seemed to not only be catching up, but trying to make up for lost time.

Still, all of it made her sad. And when she entered the apartment, she sat on the couch and sadly contemplated the state of her life. She was still there when Flint came in at what she assumed was a late lunch break for him. He took a look at her sitting alone in the dark and a look of fear came across his face. "Al, are you okay?"

"Scarlett told me she's leaving," she said quietly.

Flint exhaled as he looked relieved. "You scared me. I thought," he began but then trailed off. He took a seat next to her on the couch. "I'm sorry she's moving on. I know how close you two are."

Lady Jaye wrapped her arms around his neck as she let the tears she had been holding back begin to flow. She wondered how many more people she was going to lose from her life.

* * *

Flint walked out of the meeting mumbling under his breath. He thought for sure that he was going to have a chance to spend the night at the apartment, but General Bradshaw put an end to that idea. He understood that the general wanted to keep the Joes busy, and with the moratorium on new parts they needed to carefully inspect all of their existing equipment, but the aircraft recertifications weren't due for a couple of months. There was no reason why it had to be completed by the end of the week. So now not only would he be stuck on the base tonight, but he was going to be spending the majority of the next forty eight hours flying helos.

Normally, that would be an event that he looked forward to, as he did truly love flying, especially the Joe helicopters. But he hated being away from Lady Jaye for another couple of days. Especially after he saw how upset she was earlier over Scarlett's transfer.

He looked at his watch. It was late, but he knew she was waiting for him. As he walked back to his room, he dialed Lady Jaye's cell number, and she answered after a few rings. "Hey, babe. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to make it over there tonight."

"Oh, okay," she said. She sounded a lot less upset than he was expecting.

However, he continued on with his pre-planned speech. "I know, I am really sorry. But the general does want to go ahead and get the certs renewed on the aircraft."

"Okay."

He reached his door, so he juggled the phone between his ear and shoulder. "Hold on one second." He unlocked the door, nodded at Beachhead and walked into his bedroom.

"So I'm probably going to be busy the next couple of days as well."

"That's typical. Just give me a call when you're done."

Flint pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the number he dialed. He was starting to think that he called a wrong number. "Are you okay?"

He heard some rustling in the background. "I am. I do feel better than I did earlier. I think I just needed to have a good cry."

"That's why I was hoping to be able to come by and keep you company tonight."

"It would have been nice, but it's okay that you can't. Dash, I really am fine. I'm finding ways to keep myself entertained. Anyway, I'm sorry Bradshaw has you jumping through hoops. But don't worry about me. Shana's coming over tomorrow to start her turnover, so I'll be busy with that."

"Okay, good." While he was relieved, he was a little hurt at being slighted. "I'm going to let you go. I should get started on the paperwork."

Lady Jaye barely mumbled out a farewell before she hung up. Flint again looked at the phone and shook his head. He had apparently underestimated her, yet again. He walked out into the living room, and dropped the file he needed to skim through on the table. He then walked over to the kitchen area to grab a bottled water.

"That wasn't Lady Jaye by any chance?" Beachhead asked.

Flint startled at the question, but he tried to remain cool. "No. Why would it be?"

Beachhead shrugged. "I just thought that after her meltdown the other day that you might be slightly concerned and keeping in touch with her."

Flint shook his head. "No. I haven't talked to her since the day she left." He thought about expanding the lie, and going on about how he lost that right when they broke up, but he kept quiet. He remembered Lady Jaye's one piece of advice about acting and lying, that the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" method was really the best plan. However, he needed to say something. "I think she just needs some time to regroup back home."

Beachhead nodded. "So was that your new girl?"

The amazing thing about Beachhead was that even when he was acting like a semi normal human being, he still managed to piss Flint off. "That's really none of your business."

"You're right it's not."

Beachhead remained quiet for a few seconds, giving Flint enough time to open his file. "Just, going back to Lady Jaye, what happened to her? I know she had gone through a lot with your breakup and having to adjust to General Bradshaw. But still, her behavior was really very odd the other day."

"Sneeden, please drop it. She is not something I want to talk about right now."

Beachhead, as usual, ignored him. "And voluntarily taking a medical leave? That's really not like her. I just wonder if she was using that as an excuse to get away from what was really bothering her."

Flint sighed. He knew he was not going to be able to ignore the conversation. "Which is?"

"You blissfully happy over a new girlfriend."

Flint let out a quick laugh before he clamped down on it. He was amazed at how unaware their teammates seemed to be to Lady Jaye's real issue. He was not going to talk Beachhead out of his assumption. "Maybe she is."

Beachhead stared at him a moment. "And you're okay with that?"

Flint put his palms up. "What do you want me to do?"

"I know this might be hard for you, but maybe not be an asshole about it?"

Flint again clamped down on a laugh. The conversation had really taken a turn into the asinine, but it was becoming entertaining. "What have I done wrong?'

"You haven't noticed how miserable she's been the last few weeks? And meanwhile, you've been strutting around here like you're king of the castle. Which, again, I know is how you normally act. But maybe you should think about toning it down for her sake."

"Noted," Flint said. He could argue with Beachhead and plead his case, but he knew Lady Jaye was dealing with much worse rumors. So if the worst thing that he had to deal with is Beachhead continuing to think he was an asshole, that wasn't too bad.

* * *

Lady Jaye opened the door and grinned at Scarlett. "Shana! Come in. Welcome to our humble abode. Can I get you an iced tea? Or I could make coffee. I'm pretty sure Flint has some stashed away."

Scarlett took a hesitant few steps in. She looked at Lady Jaye. "No, I'm good. And wow, you're very happy this morning."

"I am. And that's because for the first time in weeks, I woke up not wanting to puke my brains out. I think I might have turned a corner."

"That is good news."

Lady Jaye led Scarlett to the dining room table and told her to make herself comfortable. Scarlett sat in one of the chairs and then laid the five files in her hand out on the table.

Before she took her own seat, Lady Jaye poked through them. "I probably should have given you the heads up that I am feeling better. You could have brought everything with you."

Scarlett shot her a bemused look. "I did bring everything."

"All of this was active before I left. You mean to tell me nothing has happened the last few days?"

"There have been no new credible threats. And out of this massive pile stacked here, I think only two are worth following up on. I only brought the others because I wanted to run them by you to make sure that you agreed that we can close them out."

"So much for me thinking that I was going to be swamped with work."

"If this continues, you could probably take a six month maternity leave, and Chuckles would have no problem holding down the fort."

Lady Jaye had spent the last couple of days thinking long and hard about the future, but still the idea of a maternity leave sent her into a mild panic. Not only would it mean that she would have endured a birth and be home with an infant, which was nerve wracking in and of itself, but she had no idea what her situation would be like at that time. Ideally she hoped both she and Flint would be secure in their jobs and happily married. But she knew that was a scenario she couldn't count on.

"And you are obviously not hearing a word I'm saying," Scarlett said with an amused look.

"I'm sorry," Lady Jaye said. "My thoughts went off on a tangent."

Scarlett pushed away the file in front of her. "Have you given any more thought to a plan for the future?"

Lady Jaye sighed. "It's all I think about. And I'm no closer to finding an acceptable answer."

Scarlett frowned. She fiddled with the files before she spoke again. "Alison, listen. I know it's easy to get stuck in a familiar pattern that you're very comfortable in. I was there. And even though I wasn't happy it was still better waking up each morning content with the life I was used to as opposed to making a change in the hopes of a better life. It's why I had to spend a couple of days thinking long and hard about Snake-Eyes' offer. But then I decided I owed it to myself to stop being miserable and to finally take the steps to try and give myself the life I have earned and deserve."

"I want that for myself too. Which is why I'm buying the time I need in the hopes that life will return to how it was a few months ago."

"Do you really, though, want to go back in time like that? You have a future growing inside of you. You've got to realize that no matter what happens with General Bradshaw and Hawk that you are not going to go back to the life you had before we battled Cobra in the Himalayas. And why would you want to? How many times had we been nearly killed on a mission? Or scared to death that the man we loved was going to perish at the hands of Cobra? Or one of our friends that we cared deeply about?"

Lady Jaye pondered her words. Several examples of near death instances flashed in her mind. Scarlett was right that she didn't want to repeat any of those moments. But that wasn't what she missed. "Of course I wouldn't want to see Flint or any of the other guys' lives threatened again. But back then I felt like I was making a difference in the world. Each time we stopped Cobra I was proud of what I accomplished. That's the feeling I want to get back again."

"I get that. And that's exactly why I agreed to go to Japan. I knew I could do more good there than I could here. And Alison you too have an obvious path to life fulfillment in front of you. You're going to be a mother. You're going to create and shape another human being. That has got to bring you a strong sense of satisfaction in life."

Lady Jaye nodded. "It does. Or at least I think it will. Right now it's still seems like such an abstract concept. Maybe once the baby is in my arms, my feelings will change. But right not I want to be selfish and still fight for my job satisfaction as well."

"And you have the right to do that. I'm just trying to remind you that if you reach the point where you have to make a choice, your family should take a priority over this job."

Lady Jaye settled back in her chair. The last few days had given her the time to really think about her future. Both the things she had control of and the things she didn't. The unsettling part was that so much of it seemed out of her hands. She debated how many of her dark thoughts and fears she could confess to Scarlett.

But then the fact that in a few days time, Scarlett would be off on her next journey, meant she was losing her only sounding board. She could, of course, talk to Flint, but he had weathered General Bradshaw's arrival far better than she had and couldn't grasp her frustrations with the new leadership. He had also accepted his impending fatherhood easily, so Lady Jaye was afraid he wouldn't understand her trepidation and possibly even hold it against her.

The same could be true of Scarlett. But the two had developed a close friendship over the last few years. At first there had been a bit of a professional rivalry between the two but they quickly learned that they would be better off turning to each other for support. Life on the Joe team had not been easy. They had seen and experienced many incredible things through the years, that the only way to stay sane was to have a close confidant or two to talk to. Flint had been her main source of comfort. It helped that he had been on many of the same missions, so they were able to process what they had seen and been through together. But there had been times that either he had been off on his own missions, or he was the cause of her strife, or it was a topic that Lady Jaye knew he wouldn't handle well.

So she would turn to Scarlett with a rant about one of the guys who had extremely touchy-feely hands, or who had been bordering on sexual harassment, or how Flint's latest action irritated her. There was the one conversation when she had been embarrassed to admit that although Matthew Burke had turned out to be a double timing asshole, she had still found him extremely attractive and had been flattered by the added attention he had shown her, in spite of the jealous rampage it had sent Flint into.

The memory made Lady Jaye guilty over the thoughts she had the last few days. She and Flint had not only bucked the odds of combat duty by being alive and well, but the fact that they were still together and expecting a baby made them extremely lucky. And while she was grateful for it all, she still felt like she had the right to bemoan the timing, and the fears she had for her blessed arrival.

"You're right that everything else pales in comparison to being lucky enough to have a growing family. And I am trying to make sure this little guy is my top priority. But I still can't help being terrified for what the future is going to bring me. I know I should be embracing the baby's arrival, but I'm not. I like the life Flint and I had, and there's a part of me that's upset that we're never going to have that again," Lady Jaye said with a sigh. She avoided eye contact with Scarlett. "I'm sure that makes me sound like a monster."

"It doesn't. And you're not the only one to ever have those kind of thoughts. I saw it happen with my sister-in-law. She and my brother tried for years to get pregnant, so when it finally happened I thought she would be ecstatic. But, at first, she wasn't. She said she had gotten so used to the idea of not ever having a baby, that she was having a hard time accepting that the opposite was true. Plus, they had gotten very used to their no-kids lifestyle that she was afraid a baby was going to disrupt their happiness. And I'll be honest that after the baby was born in took her a little while to fully embrace motherhood, but she eventually did."

"Thanks, I needed to hear that. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with these awful thoughts. I look at Flint, and he has so easily accepted the idea of fatherhood that I really have started to wonder if there was something wrong with me."

"No, I think that's normal too. It's easier for men. It's not their body that gets sacrificed during pregnancy. And I know despite the leaps and bounds we've come with women's rights, we more likely than not end up being the primary caregiver, at least in the very beginning, so our life is the one that gets uprooted by the process. My brother too was blissfully happy, unaware of the thoughts of his wife. I still don't think he knows all the negative thoughts she had.

"If you want I can give you her phone number if you ever want to talk about what you're going through. She really is one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and I tell my brother every chance I get that he's lucky to have her. My nephew is nearly three, and she's working on baby number two, so she's a good resource for new mom questions."

"I may take you up on that," Lady Jaye replied. "And thank you once again for being here for me. I'm definitely going to need to look into a good long distance phone plan so we can continue to chat once you are in Japan."

"The biggest problem is going to be the time difference. Although, I guess if you need some company for the middle of the night feedings, you can call me since it will only be in the afternoon my time."

That was the kind of scenario Lady Jaye was having a hard time wrapping her head around. The idea that she would be spending every couple of hours doing nothing but feeding a newborn seemed rather excruciating. So she hoped that Scarlett was right that she would eventually get used to the aspects of motherhood.

"That sounds like a plan. I'll probably need the adult conversation."

Scarlett looked at her watch and then stood up. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have to get back."

Lady Jaye looked towards the files on the table. "I'm sorry that I hijacked the conversation. We didn't get a chance to go over anything."

Scarlett shrugged. "Don't apologize, I don't think it's a big deal. We basically do the same job, so it's not like I have to show you the ropes. I just wanted to bring these to you so you can go over them. It'll give you a head start for when you return next week. That is, I assume you are returning next week?"

"It's what I'm planning on. I think the worst of the morning sickness has passed, so I should be able to return. At that point, I'll just be taking it one day at a time."

"Okay. As I said, I think three of the leads have gone cold. But I think there might be something worth following up on with the other two." Scarlett gave her a hug. "Take care. And call me if you need anything."


	21. Chapter 21

The following day, Lady Jaye kept trying to focus on the files that Scarlett left behind. She should have been thrilled to have work to attend to, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her nausea-free streak had continued that morning, but instead of it bringing her the joy like it did the previous morning, she was starting to worry. Especially since she just didn't feel right.

Her hand rubbed at her abdomen. She got up to go to the bathroom, and gasped shortly thereafter. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down and saw blood on her underwear. "Oh God, no." She then went to get a phone so she could call her OB-Gyn. The phone was busy the first couple of times she tried, which only added to her stress.

She finally got the receptionist, and after she briefly explained her problem, she was put on hold to speak to a nurse practitioner. She spent the minutes waiting by thinking the worst. She realized in that moment, that no matter how many negative thoughts she had the past few weeks that she was desperate to keep the baby. Even if it screwed up her career, she didn't care.

"Ms. Hart-Burnett? This is Gina. I'm sorry, all of the doctors are tied up, but maybe I can help you?"

Lady Jaye took a deep breath. "Hi, Gina, call me Alison. I'm eleven weeks pregnant. I woke up today, just feeling off, and I noticed a few minutes ago that I'm bleeding." She swallowed against the tears. "Am I having a miscarriage?"

"Alison, I know it's hard right now, but the important thing is that you remain calm. Some amount of bleeding during the first trimester is normal, and usually nothing to worry about. But I know how concerned you must be. Are you having any severe cramping?"

"No."

"Okay, that's a good sign. And have you experienced any other bleeding or cramping before this?"

"No. But I had really bad morning sickness up until yesterday."

"That's typical, as you are getting close to the second trimester. Like I said, I think everything is okay. But if you want, you can come in and one of the doctors could check the heartbeat to confirm."

"Please, I'd feel better if I know the baby's okay."

"Of course. When was your next appointment?"

"Monday. I was scheduled to do an initial ultrasound."

"Since that is only a few days from now, we might bump that up. I'm going to transfer you back to Becky, who I'm sure can get you in today."

A few minutes later, Lady Jaye had a late morning appointment. As she continued to try and reassure herself, she planned her next move. Flint wasn't due back until later in the day, but she knew he would want to be with her at the doctor's appointment. So she called him, and wasn't surprised when his cell phone went right into voice mail. She didn't want to leave him a "Hey, I might have just had a miscarriage" voice mail, so she hung up. She then dialed the number of her next closest person.

"Scarlett, is Flint back?" Lady Jaye asked as soon as Scarlett answered her phone.

"No, he's still on maneuvers. Is everything okay?"

Lady Jaye intended to be cool, calm and collected during the conversation, but her façade faltered. "I started bleeding."

"Oh, honey," Scarlett replied. Lady Jaye could hear the murmurs of activity in the background, and she felt bad burdening Scarlett with her problem. "Do you need me to come there?"

"No. I know you're busy. And I talked to the doctor's office. The nurse practitioner thinks everything is okay. But I still want to get checked out. I had hoped that Dash was back so he could come with me."

Lady Jaye noticed that the background noise had become quieter. Scarlett must have moved to a less noisy area. "What time is your appointment?"

"11 AM."

"Okay, let me just tie up a few loose ends, and then I'll come pick you up."

Lady Jaye's tears started anew. This time it was due to Scarlett's kindness. She knew she was going to miss her friend desperately. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to. And you shouldn't go through this alone. Just remember this when you're deciding on a Godmother."

* * *

Flint brought the chopper in for a landing. As he ran through the shut down procedure he watched Duke approach. Duke gave the exiting Joes a series of orders before he joined Flint in the cockpit. "Stalker said you have the paperwork?"

Flint pointed to the manila folder on the floor. "Yep. So I know we're shorthanded with Jaye on leave, but Scarlett has you doing her job now?"

Duke mumbled a reply, "Apparently today she does. Scarlett came to me about an hour ago with some cockamamie excuse about a family emergency. She claimed it was important, but I swear she has short timer's disease and it's just an excuse to go shopping."

Flint had stopped midway through his procedure. He, on the other hand, got a very bad feeling that there wasn't a frivolous reason for Scarlett's spur of the moment trip. But then he scolded himself for assuming that everyone else's life revolved around him and Lady Jaye. However, as he turned on his phone, and saw a missed call from Lady Jaye, he went right back into assuming the worst.

"Excuse me," he said to Duke as he dialed Lady Jaye's number. When it went right to voicemail, his dread intensified. He jumped down from the chopper and dialed Scarlett's number. She luckily answered.

"Red, what's going on?" he asked.

"I'm at the OB-GYN with Jaye. She had some bleeding a few hours ago." Flint cursed but he let Scarlett continue. "Dash, try to stay calm. The doctor said this isn't unusual, and most likely nothing is wrong. She's in one of the rooms now getting checked out. I'll have her call you as soon as she's done."

Flint was damned if he was going to sit idly by on base while she learned the fate of their unborn child alone. "No, I'm coming. Give me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can."

Flint had to go back on the helicopter to get a pen and paper to write down the location. Once he did he hung up the phone, and faced Duke who did not look happy. "Hauser, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Duke sighed. "I figured that. What," he began but then he stopped. "You know what? I don't want to know. Go take care of what you need to do."

Flint raced to his car, and then headed to the address that Scarlett had given him. It was a short drive, which was good as it didn't give him a lot of time to dwell on his fears. Once he parked, he ran into the doctor's office. He saw that Scarlett was still sitting in the waiting room, calmly reading one of the magazines. He took that as a good sign. He went to her. "Any news?" he asked.

Scarlett shook her head. "No. But I'm sure you could go back there and find out what's going on."

Flint nodded. Before he left her, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for being here for her."

Scarlett smiled. "I know she'd do the same for me."

Flint talked to the receptionist to find out what room Lady Jaye was in. He stumbled over an answer when the woman asked if she was his wife. Exasperated, she then asked if he was at least the father. Once he said he was, she let him into the back.

Flint entered her room and immediately went to hug her. She fell into his arms. "Babe, are you okay?"

"I think I am. I feel fine now. And the doctor heard the heartbeat which she said sounded normal. She left to get the ultrasound, to make sure. She should be back any minute, so I'm very happy you made it here. Did Scarlett call you?"

Before he could explain how he found out, the doctor entered the room. He introduced himself and then Lady Jaye was prepped for the scan. He grabbed a hold of Lady Jaye's hand. It took a couple of minutes but then he recognized an image that he had seen before with his nieces and nephews. "Alison and Dashiell, meet your baby."

Flint looked at Lady Jaye and he knew they were wearing matching grins. He turned back to the screen. "How is he?"

"I can't say for sure just yet it is a 'he' but he or she is looking pretty healthy." Dr. Young then paused as a puzzled look crossed her face.

Lady Jaye squeezed his hand tighter. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing's technically wrong, I'm just looking at your dates. Are you sure about your last menstrual period?"

"I could be off," Lady Jaye admitted. "The date I gave you is when I had a very light period."

The doctor nodded. "Based on the development I'm seeing, and the current size, I estimate we're about two weeks off on the development. I think your due date is more like the end of April. So congratulations, you've been bumped up to the second trimester."

"But everything is okay?" Flint asked.

"From what I can see, yes. The uterus looks good, heartbeat is normal, and there are no apparent abnormalities."

Flint leaned over and kissed Lady Jaye's forehead. "So what caused the bleeding?"

"I don't know for sure. It could be for any number of reasons, the majority with no cause of concern for either Alison or the baby."

Flint wasn't satisfied with the vague response. "So, should she rest and take in easy for a while?"

Lady Jaye shot him a look of annoyance. "I have been taking it easy. I was off of work for a week when this happened."

"Out of an abundance of caution, and if you're already taking a few days off, I would say continue to rest for the next forty eight hours. Refrain from sex, or anything strenuous during that time. If at the end, you continue to not experience any bleeding or cramping, you'll be free to return to your normal level of activities."

Flint knew his next question was also going to irritate Lady Jaye, but he didn't care. "What is a normal level for her? She's on the Joe team, and they have a pretty intense PT workout."

The doctor smiled and looked at Lady Jaye. "I'm going to give you a list of activities that are forbidden during pregnancy. Anything else, my advice is to trust what your body is telling you, since it's different for every woman. If you were able to do it before you became pregnant, within reason you should be able to continue to do so now."

"Thank you doctor," Lady Jaye replied.

"I almost forgot," Dr. Young said as she typed on the keyboard. "I have to give you a copy of your baby's first photo."

The doctor handed Lady Jaye the black and white image and then walked out of the room, leaving the two alone. Lady Jaye jumped down from the examination table, and with a grin Flint pulled her into his arms. "I love you so very much."

"I love you too." She looked down at the photo with a smile. "This is amazing. Look what we made!"

"It is unbelievable. And I'm so glad everything is okay."

"Me too. I probably overreacted, but when I saw the blood I got so scared."

"No, I'm glad you got checked out. And later on I'm going to have a little chat with Junior about how he shouldn't scare his parents like that."

Lady Jaye laughed. "Let's go tell Scarlett the good news."

* * *

Flint navigated the now very familiar route to the apartment. He really didn't have the time, as General Bradshaw's announcement greatly increased his to-do list. But at the moment he didn't care. He wanted to tell Lady Jaye the news in person.

He smiled as he figured this was a commute he was going to be making regularly. He loved the idea of putting in a day of work and then driving home to see Alison and their child. For as long as he could remember, having a family had been a top priority of his. He had always loved the idea of one day being able to toss around a football with his son, or to kick a soccer ball with his daughter, to help with homework, attend plays and recitals and all the other events that come with parenthood.

As far as Flint was concerned, he already accomplished the hard part of the goal by finding the woman who would one day, hopefully in the very near future, become his wife. Then getting the all clear from the OB the other day, meant the baby part was also soon going to become a reality. And today, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place.

He hoped his news would be the first step in putting an end to the frustrating subterfuge they had been engaged in the last few weeks. He was beyond tired of the lies, mistruths, and withholding of information from his friends and family. Lady Jaye's miscarriage scare two days earlier had been the proverbial straw. The event had left him shaken, and when they had returned home after the doctor's visit he had wanted nothing more to stay home with her to make sure that she and the baby were truly okay, and that she got the rest she needed.

However, he knew a long absence from HQ was going to raise too many questions, so he reluctantly left Lady Jaye alone after making her promise that she would follow the doctor's orders. Luckily, once he returned to base, Duke didn't question his impromptu errand, which briefly alleviated his conscience. But he was then left with a sense of sadness and loneliness. He had experienced one of the greatest moments in his life earlier in the day when he saw the first images of his son or daughter, and he couldn't share the experience with those he was closest to.

He had debated reaching out to his family, but he dismissed the idea. His parents would have too many questions that he didn't have good answers to. He could confide in his older brother, but Flint didn't want to burden him with a secret he too would have to keep. So he reluctantly kept quiet, and tried to continue on with his day as normally as possible. That night he did get a chance to return to the apartment, but since he didn't want to put Lady Jaye under any extra stress, he kept his thoughts to himself. He laid awake most of their night together, and only fell asleep once he made the decision that before she returned to the Joe team they were going to decide on a concrete plan. Which was why the news he had just received was so critical.

Flint parked and then entered the apartment. It was quiet so he called Lady Jaye's name, but he received no response. He frowned as he finished the walk-through of the apartment. He had parked next to her car in the lot, so he assumed that she was just out taking a walk around the complex, but he still couldn't help being worried that something more sinister had happened.

However before he worked himself into a panic, she walked through the front door carrying a box of dog treats. He pointed towards the box. "Did we get a dog?"

Lady Jaye smiled. "No. Our current situation is precarious enough without bringing another living being into the mix. I noticed the last few days while I took a walk that quite a few of our neighbors have a dog. And they are much more friendly, both human and canine alike, when you offer the dog a Milk Bone. Anyway, I didn't know you were going to come by."

"It was a spur of the moment decision. And I really can't stay long, but I have big news that I wanted to tell you in person."

Flint's enthusiasm was contagious, and Lady Jaye smiled despite her trepidation. She had enough "big news" the last few weeks to be worried about the latest one. Especially since she assumed he had gotten an early indication that his promotion was going through, which would mean yet another upheaval of their lives.

But it turned out this time it was actual good news. "It's official. General Bradshaw is leaving and Hawk is coming back. The transfer orders were finalized this afternoon."

Lady Jaye let out a shriek and jumped into his arms. "When does it go into effect?"

"I'm not sure. There wasn't a date attached, but it looks like it's only going to be a couple of weeks at most."

Lady Jaye nodded. Sooner was better than later. Finding out she was farther along in her pregnancy than she thought meant that time was quickly running out before she started to show. She knew she was lucky that she still was able to fit into her clothes, but that could quickly change. "That is great news, as I think Junior's existence will soon become obvious."

Flint leaned over to kiss her. "I agree. Once we have a timetable in place we can sit down and figure out where we go from here."

Lady Jaye wrapped her arms around Flint's neck. "I can answer that right now. As soon as General Bradshaw is on his transport away from Joe HQ, we're going to sit down with Hawk and the others and tell them the truth. So do you have time to do a little celebrating?"

Flint looked at his watch. "I think I can stay for a few minutes."

Lady Jaye smirked. "Thanks for squeezing me into your busy schedule."

"I'm sorry, but we have a conference call with DC scheduled for three. After running out on Duke the other day, I can't afford to miss it."

"I understand. I'm just giving you a hard time."

Lady Jaye kissed him, and Flint began to respond to her advances, but he pulled away. "Is this okay? What about the restrictions the doctor put on you?"

"They technically expired a couple hours ago. And she said as long as I hadn't experienced any bleeding or cramping, which I haven't, I could resume normal activity."

"Well, I guess if it's okay."

His response wasn't exactly an aphrodisiac so Lady Jaye decided to put a stop to any further activity. "How about we take a rain check?"

Flint looked relieved. "I'm sorry. I want to, I really do, but I'd never forgive myself if I cause any more problems."

Lady Jaye knew Flint was taking the cautious and reasonable approach, but she was still frustrated. However, she didn't want to force him into anything he didn't want to do. "You do need to get back anyway. But do you think you'll be able to sneak away later and spend the night here?'

Flint nodded. "Unless something comes up, that shouldn't be a problem. I should even be able to get away by dinner time. I'll call you to confirm." He pulled her close to him. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied. He left a few moments later. Her disappointment in his abrupt departure was short lived as she contemplated all of the positive aspects of General Bradshaw's transfer. One in particular stood out, and she picked up her phone to call Scarlett. "Did you hear the good news?" Lady Jaye asked Scarlett once she answered.

"About General Bradshaw? I couldn't help but hear about it. This place practically burst out into a song and dance in celebration."

"You can't blame the team. It's probably the best news we've heard in weeks. Does this, by any chance, change your future plans?

Scarlett let out a sigh. "I wish it did, but it really doesn't. My problems started before General Bradshaw came on board, and they're not going to go away once he leaves."

Lady Jaye scoffed. "I find that hard to believe. You seemed pretty happy up until the moment Hawk announced he was leaving."

"Okay, that may be true, but that still doesn't mean life is magically going to return to that point. Too much has changed since then."

"I don't know. I bet Duke realized he made a terrible mistake and is just waiting for General Bradshaw to leave to come crawling back to you."

Scarlett exhaled sharply. "There might have been a point when I was willing to forgive Duke for all that he's done and take him back. That time has long since come and gone. If Duke had truly cared about me, he would have figured out a way to make our relationship work like you and Flint did. The fact that he took the exit door as soon as it was offered speaks volumes to me. Add in how he treated me like I didn't exist on the good days, and like absolute garbage on the bad, and well, quite frankly, I don't give a shit that he might be considering a reconciliation."

Lady Jaye went silent as she didn't have a response to her friend's outburst. A few moments passed before Scarlett continued. "I'm sorry. As you can probably tell this is a very sore subject to me. What makes it worse is that I think you're right that he realizes he screwed up. Ever since he found out I was leaving for Japan, he's been going out of his way to talk to me and be the same sweet guy that I fell in love with. Which just makes me angrier. He doesn't even have the decency to let me leave in peace."

"Shana, that just means he's afraid to lose you."

Scarlett muttered under her breath. "Maybe, but it's too late. My tickets to Tokyo are booked and nothing is going to stop me."


	22. Chapter 22

Lady Jaye walked over to the refreshments table. She grabbed a bowl full of chips and another bottle of water. She watched Flint walk over to the keg and he caught her eye as he refilled his plastic cup. He grinned at her and she gave him a quick salute with her water bottle. She was glad to see that he looked to be enjoying himself. He had been wound so tight the last few weeks, that she was glad to see he was letting loose a little bit. She held his glance for a moment longer, and then turned away.

She too had to admit that she was having a good time. When she returned from her leave and learned that General Bradshaw was continuing the tradition of the G.I. Joe family day, she was less than enthusiastic. The previous family days that she had attended had been fun. Hawk had been very generous and given the Joes a chance to blow off steam and bond with loved ones. It wasn't geared totally towards the kids, as the Joes also had activities for adults. The one year, a couple of weeks after Flint's disastrous vacation to visit his cousins on the West Coast, he had invited Ted and his family to come visit. They all had a good time which pleased Flint, since he figured they could use the R' and R' after their encounter with Cobra.

But this year, Lady Jaye wasn't as excited for the afternoon festivities. At first she assumed it was going to be a much lower key affair, but General Bradshaw surprised her. She had wondered if it was due to the fact that his own family was flying in to spend the weekend with them. Or if it was because it was the Saturday before Halloween, and he wanted to make it a special occasion for the kids. Whatever the reason, he had okayed just about all of the previous years' entertainment, including a keg. Supposedly he had agreed to the last because there had been enough Joes that volunteered to remain sober in case they needed to mobilize for a threat. Lady Jaye too volunteered to be in that group. While she didn't specifically reference her imaginary drinking problem, she was sure that was everyone's assumption on the reason for her request. So she prepared herself for a long afternoon of avoiding Flint and watching the others having fun. But she surprised herself with how much she ended up enjoying the festivities. The fact that it was also a farewell party of sorts for General Bradshaw helped. But even if it wasn't she still would have had fun. The barbecue had been delicious, and she was learning that there was a level of amusement in remaining one of the few sober people in a sea of drunk friends.

But now the food and the sun were starting to wear on her, so she looked for a seat in the shade. She saw one in between the pool and the obstacle course, which had been turned into a fairly elaborate haunted house/ spooky trail walk for the kids. Every so often she heard a shriek that was usually followed by laughter. Occasionally though, one was followed up by a cry and call for mom. There was also a less scary play area set up. As Lady Jaye watched the children run around, she tried to match them up to their fathers. She realized that at the previous family days she had attended she had never paid attention to the Joes kids. But now, as she thought about the idea that she could be attending the next Joe family day with her own child in tow, she was more interested. One little girl tripped and fell. She paused for a moment before letting out what could only be described as a blood curdling shriek. A woman, who she was pretty sure was Leatherneck's wife ran and picked her up. She comforted the child and Lady Jaye wondered if she had what it took to be a good mother. As her mind contemplated the idea of motherhood, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"How far along are you?"

Lady Jaye turned towards the woman who she recognized as Mainframe's ex. "Excuse me?"

"I asked how far along you were, as in how many weeks pregnant. And now I feel like an ass if I'm wrong, but my preggo radar was going off."

Lady Jaye looked around to make sure none of the Joes were in earshot. She debated lying to the woman, as it was extremely risky to come clean to someone she barely knew. But having a sympathetic ear was appealing, and with General Bradshaw's lame duck status she took a chance. "No, you're right. I'm fourteen weeks. How did you know?"

She smiled. "After two kids myself, and being in a circle of friends that have been on and off pregnant for the last six years, I've gotten pretty good at recognizing the signs. Plus, you've been hitting the water bottles almost as frequently as your teammates have been hitting the keg."

Lady Jaye laughed. "I didn't realize I was that obvious. I haven't told too many people yet, as it's not something I want making the rounds yet."

"Don't worry, I'm sure your secret is safe. Especially with the men. I swear it took Blaine nearly six months to notice I was pregnant with our second. His inattention to me is one of the many reasons why I ended up divorcing him." She took a sip of her drink and continued. "Which is also why you don't have to worry about me spilling the beans to him. I barely talk to him about the important things in our life, so I won't be sharing any idle gossip I hear today. I'm only here because the kids love to come, and quite honestly I don't trust him around them when he's in G.I. Joe mode. My name's Veronica, by the way."'

"Lady Jaye," she replied automatically. "But my real name is Alison," Lady Jaye continued as they shook hands. Thinking about the future with a baby and play dates she knew she needed to start getting used to acclimating to the "real" world where code names weren't used.

Veronica nodded. "If I remember right, you're the one who was hooked up with one of the other Joes?"

That made Lady Jaye grimace. While she could justify admitting to the pregnancy, her relationship with Flint was a line she wasn't going to cross. "No, not anymore."

"I'm sorry. You two seemed pretty hot and heavy last year."

Lady Jaye remembered the afternoon well. She had returned from a week long mission only about an hour before the festivities were to start. Flint had met her on the tarmac, but since he was busy with the preparations, he only had time for a quick hug and kiss before he was off. But after she had showered and joined her friends out in the field, he had given her a more enthusiastic welcome home.

Lady Jaye shook off the memory and turned her attention back to Veronica. She tried to think of a way to sidetrack their current conversation, but she caught a break thanks to Mainframe's son. Veronica stood suddenly and yelled out, "Sawyer, take your turn! And don't push your sister."

Once the kids settled down, Veronica turned back to Lady Jaye. "They are my whole life now. It's exhausting at times, especially since their father is only around part time. But it really is worth it. My piece of advice is to try and get as much rest as you can now. Because it's true that once you give birth you hit the ground running."

"Thanks for that. And I'll definitely try. Now that I'm not vomiting all the time, I can catch up on some sleep."

Veronica patted her arm. "Poor thing. With Sawyer, it wasn't too bad. But with Hannah, the only thing that got me through the day was ginger ale and Saltines."

Lady Jaye had more questions but she remained quiet when she saw Mainframe approach. "Sorry to interrupt you two, but they're getting ready to take the kids trick or treating around the base. So, Ron, if you don't mind I'm going to grab the kids."

"That's fine, but keep an eye on them. Especially Sawyer. He has a tendency to disappear."

"I think I can handle it." Mainframe looked from Lady Jaye to Veronica and back again. "Jaye, don't feel obligated to be nice to her on my account."

Based on previous comments Mainframe had made about his ex-wife over the years, Lady Jaye knew there was very little love lost between them. "I appreciate the concern, but we're actually having a very nice conversation."

"Okay, suit yourself." He then walked over to the playground to collect his kids.

Veronica mumbled a few choice words after him as they watched him leave. "It's amazing how quickly they can go from the love of your life, to an asshole you can't stand the sight of."

Lady Jaye tried to stifle a laugh, but it escaped. They continued to chat until the kids returned. This time she said goodbye to Veronica and left her to bicker with Mainframe in private. Lady Jaye looked around and saw that the afternoon festivities were winding down. Most of the Joes had either gone inside, or were helping their families pack up. She saw a few more in the process of constructing a stage, and she cringed. This was her least favorite aspect of family day. Without fail, at the end of these R'n'R days, the budding Joe musicians would get together for a couple hours long jam session. The problem was they were legends only in their own mind, and the music they produced was off-key and pretty painful to listen to, especially if you hadn't been partaking in the adult beverages.

Lady Jaye looked at her watch. She had time for a nap before she went back on duty. Since she knew she wasn't going to be drinking during the event, she had volunteered for the night shift, to help give one of her teammates the night off. Plus it was in her best interest. It was usually a quiet shift, and it meant she had a good excuse for missing Beachhead's early morning PT session.

She scanned the grounds one last time looking for Flint, but she didn't see him. She had noticed earlier that he had been talking to General Bradshaw, but now she didn't see either man. She was a little disappointed that he had apparently gone inside without even saying goodbye to her. Shaking it off, she grabbed her things and headed to her room.

She quickly realized that she wasn't going to get any rest there. Cover Girl had brought the party inside to her place, and she could hear the raucous laughter and music from the hallway. It was even worse in her room. So she grabbed a few things, and decided to head to the apartment.

The drive went quick and as she walked to the front door she saw a familiar car pull into a parking spot next to hers. As Flint exited his car she called out to him, "Dash! I was looking for you, but you disappeared. I figured you were busy with the general."

"I was, briefly. But then General Bradshaw decided to join the musicians. He's apparently quite the guitarist. I used that as my cue to leave. I took the chance that you would end up here."

Lady Jaye was now very glad she left the base. She unlocked the door to the apartment, and the two walked to their bedroom. "So, it seems like you had a good time this afternoon."

"I did. I'm sorry I ignored you for most of it, but I figured that was the safe thing to do."

"No, that was the right call. And it was fine, I had a good time too."

"Yeah, I saw you hanging out with Parker's ex. What were you guys chatting about?"

"Typical girl talk. Pregnancy, kids, men."

Flint startled. "You told her about the baby?"

"Actually, she guessed. She said her pregnancy radar was going off."

Flint laughed. "That's a thing? Is that one of the superpowers that mothers develop?"

"Apparently. I know I took a chance, but I did warn her not to say anything to anyone. She barely speaks to Mainframe, so I don't think it'll be a problem for us. Anyway, it was nice having someone to talk to about what I'm going through. And I got a taste of the future as I watched the kids run around. I saw some really cute costumes."

Flint pulled her close. "I did too. It got me thinking about the next family day. I'm looking forward to next year when we're going to be chasing after our son."

Lady Jaye laughed. "Okay, first of all, Junior is going to be barely mobile at that point, so I don't think there's going to be a lot of chasing. And secondly, your son might actually be your daughter."

Flint shook his head. "It could, but I don't think so. Faireborn sperm have a higher than normal male offspring rate."

"Really?" Lady Jaye said as she continued to laugh. "You've had them tested?"

"Don't need to. All you have to do is take a look at the family tree. Girls are few and far between."

Maybe he was right. But after her talk with Veronica and her different experiences with morning sickness, she was starting to think that she was actually going to have a girl. "Well, I just hope you're prepared in case you're wrong."

"Believe me, I have nothing against having a little girl. Especially if she's as beautiful as her mother."

Lady Jaye grinned and kissed him. "You still have your charm, Faireborn."

Lady Jaye woke up a couple of hours later. Flint was snoring soundly beside her. She quietly got ready and then debated waking him. She didn't know what his schedule was like that evening. Deciding to be on the safe side, she shook him awake.

He was alert within seconds. "What time is it?"

"A little before seven. PM," she added when he looked alarmed. "I have to head back because I'm going on shift soon and I want to pick through whatever leftovers there are before I'm on."

Flint nodded. "So you'll be off at 2?"

"No, 8. I volunteered for a double. I figured it would help some of the guys out, and it couldn't hurt to start collecting a few favors that I may need to redeem in the near future."

"Are you sure you should be staying up all night?"

Lady Jaye exhaled sharply. "Dash, don't start this again."

"I know, but I can't help it. I hate watching you tax yourself anymore than you have to."

"Thanks, but I really do feel so much better now. Plus, sitting in comm., keeping an eye on the computers and the message traffic is hardly taxing."

"It is if you're sacrificing your sleep to do it."

"I did nothing today, and I have nothing planned for tomorrow, so I'll be fine. Besides, by doing an overnight double I get out of Beachhead's PT session, so it's a win all around."

Flint seemed satisfied. "Alright, I'm going to go back in a little while as well. So promise me that if you do get tired, and need a nap or a break, call me. I'll come relieve you for a couple of hours."

"Okay. But I'll be fine."

She returned to base and was happy to see the large amount of leftovers available. After she made a plate of food, she stopped by her office out of habit to check for messages. She wasn't expecting any, but she was surprised to see a few printout sheets with a note from Chuckles that read, "Possible lead?" She scanned through it and confirmed that it was worth checking out. She now had an activity to keep her occupied during her watch.

It had been another quiet afternoon so her turnover with Spirit went quick. Once he left, she sat in front of one of the monitors and began to look into the lead Chuckles left for her. Most of it stemmed from transcripts of conversations recorded of known and suspected terrorist organizations. In the past, the Joe intelligence department would filter out all references that didn't pertain to Cobra. Now, they looked at everything. Or at least they tried to. Luckily, their counterparts in Washington filtered out a lot of the noise, which is what most of the information appeared to be.

Lady Jaye leaned back in her chair. She would love to get the opportunity to speak face to face with some of the intelligence experts in DC to see what they thought about the sudden lull in activity. Not only did it seem like Cobra went belly-up, but all of the known terrorist threats had also quieted down. It could be that Cobra had been funding the various groups, and without the support they couldn't sustain themselves. But Lady Jaye didn't totally believe that. She was afraid that there was a group out that that was slowly and quietly building their resources to one day pick up where Cobra left off. And that was using the potentially erroneous assumption that Cobra was truly finished.

What Chuckles had flagged was the recurrence of a particular phrase that was loosely translated into "The Crimson Darkness". She knew that caught Chuckles' attention due to the similarity to Cobra's Crimson Guard. But a full read of the transcripts hadn't convinced Lady Jaye that there was a connection to Cobra, or even any sort of terrorist group. But since they now had the free time, it was something that she could make a note to keep an eye on.

She looked at the clock and was surprised to see that nearly two and a half hours had passed. She stood up, stretched and walked around the room. She sat back at the computer, but instead of continuing her work she decided to spend some time doing more personal research on line. During her down time the previous week she had not only finished her week-by-week pregnancy book, but she also read a good chunk of What to Expect when Expecting, so she considered herself pretty well informed in what was going on in her pregnancy. So she decided to spend some time reading up on the part that came next, raising the baby. The internet seemed to be a wealth of information. However, as she kept clicking through various message boards she began to see that it was also a wealth of conflicting information.

She skimmed through one extremely passionate debate between two moms over bottle-feeding. She saw that by the end of the thread, at least a dozen women had chimed in with their extremely heated thoughts. She shook her head and tried a different topic. A few clicks later, she found another message board dedicated to birth stories. Those she read with interest. Some were lengthy, some were just a few sentences. Some were very well written and some she could barely understand due to the numerous spelling errors and grammar mistakes. But one thing she noticed that even though they described the pain and in some case the fear each woman experienced, they were all basically love letters to their newborns.

She wondered what that moment was going to be like for her. Would she experience that feeling of unconditional love towards her baby? She knew she was in love with the idea of a baby, but at the moment it still seemed more theoretical than real.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, that she didn't hear Dial-Tone enter the room. "What are you reading, Lady Jaye?"

She startled and then looked at the computer. Most of the stories had been just text, but occasionally one would have accompanying photos. Unfortunately the one she had been reading was one of them. On screen was clearly a photo of a woman in labor, so there wasn't much wiggle room in a creative answer. So she decided to be honest –sort of. "I'm reading about women giving birth. A college friend of mine just had a baby, and she told me she posted her birth story."

Dial-Tone smiled. "Wow, congratulations. Is that her?"

Lady Jaye looked at the screen and then laughed. She kept the lie going. "No. I actually haven't found hers yet. I know it must seem weird, but some of the stories are fascinating, and it's a good way to pass the time."

Dial-Tone nodded. "I totally get that. One night, I started out looking for hints for Halo, and the next thing I know, I'm reading a thirty four chapter fanfic about it. Actually, that reminds me I haven't finished that story."

Lady Jaye laughed. She looked at her watch and saw it was just after 1 AM. "So what brings you around here this time of night?"

Dial-Tone nodded towards one of the monitors. "Number 12 is acting up again. I promised Mainframe that I would take a look at it tonight, or technically, last night, but I got sidetracked with an on-line battle that went a little longer that I expected. So, I hope you don't mind having some company the next couple of hours."

"No, actually that sounds nice." As Dial-Tone got to work, she went back to her computer and exited out of her browser. She then checked with the official message traffic to make sure she didn't miss anything while she was sidetracked.

"Do you think you're going to have kids one day?" Dial-Tone asked a few minutes later.

Lady Jaye couldn't help but smile at the irony at the question. "Yeah, I think I will. How about you?"

"Sure, I guess. I'd like to, but first I'd need to find someone to make that happen for me."

Lady Jaye nodded. "That is pretty much half the battle."

Dial-Tone paused at the keyboard, and then turned to her. "Lady Jaye, I heard about your break-up, with um, you know, and uh, I'm sorry."

Lady Jaye wasn't sure if Dial-Tone was trying to be discreet in not mentioning Flint's name, or if it was his social awkwardness showing through. Either way, she was happy that he didn't name names. She knew that this room was monitored. She didn't think General Bradshaw would waste his time watching tapes of a boring night shift, but she still wanted to be careful. "Thanks, Dial-Tone, I appreciate that."

Dial-Tone went back to his work. Lady Jaye stifled a yawn as she stood up. "Hey, if it's okay, do you mind if you hold down the fort for a few minutes? I want to grab a snack from the commissary."

"Sure no problem," Dial-Tone replied.

"Do you want me to bring you back something?"

"No, I'm good," Dial-Tone answered without looking up from his furious typing.

Lady Jaye headed down the hall and after she made the turn to go towards the cafeteria, she saw Flint headed her way with a plate full of cookies and a glass of milk. He grinned at her. "I was just coming to see you. I brought goodies."

She too smiled. She helped herself to one of the chocolate cookies. "This is perfect. I was heading to the commissary to see if they had any snacks. I've got Dial-Tone covering for me. Do you mind holding on to that, while I hit the bathroom real fast?"

"Sure, but I can deliver it if you want."

Lady Jaye shook her head. "Dial-Tone just got done giving me his condolences on the news of our break-up. I don't think it would look right if he saw you bringing me food. Just wait here, I'll be out in a minute. "

Once she was done she came out and grabbed another cookie. She knew it was gluttonous, but she realized she needed some kind of caffeine substitution to help her stay up the rest of the night. "This is bad, I shouldn't be eating like this."

"Al, I think you're actually justified in eating a little extra."

"I know. But even with all the morning sickness, I've still managed to gain two pounds."

"That's good. I'm sure that means the baby is growing."

"True. But I'd like him to hold off on his true growth spurt until after General Bradshaw leaves. Otherwise I'll have to buy some time by saying I have a drinking and an eating problem."


	23. Chapter 23

"Come on, Jaye, it'll be fun," Cover Girl pleaded. "Besides, we can't let Jinx and Red leave without one last girls' get-together. We could be lame and make margaritas in your room before we meet the rest of the team for their farewell party. But with how deathly quiet and boring this base has been the last few weeks, we are way overdue for a night out."

The last thing Lady Jaye wanted to do was hit the town and watch her friends drink, but Cover Girl was right. Scarlett and Jinx deserved a decent going away party. And now that she was a couple of weeks into her second trimester, she had started to feel like more of herself. A night out might be just what she needed. "Okay, fine. But I'll drive."

"Ha!" Cover Girl said as she high-fived her. "You're not going to get an argument from me!"

The following Friday night, the four women entered Joe's bar. Cover Girl turned to the others and said, "First round is on me. Grab a table and I'll order your drinks. "

Lady Jaye offered to go with Cover Girl to carry back the drinks. Once the bartender came over, Lady Jaye asked for a water after Cover Girl put in an order for three beers. "Are you sure?" Cover Girl asked. "Just because you're DD doesn't mean you can't have a beer. We'll hang out long enough for you to sober up."

"No, I'm good with the water right now," Lady Jaye answered.

Cover Girl eyed her for a moment. "I know you've had some personal problems lately, and I heard the stories going around. I didn't believe them, but now I'm starting to feel like an ass if I made you come out to a bar when you may have some issues."

Lady Jaye let out a laugh. "Courtney, you should know by now to never believe the rumors going around base. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Cover Girl and Lady Jaye joined their friends. The four chatted happily for several minutes, as Scarlett and Jinx admitted how excited they were for their trip to Japan. "I think that calls for a round of shots," Cover Girl said as she waved over a waitress. "Another round and four shots of Fireball, please."

Lady Jaye grabbed the waitress's arm as she turned to leave. "Three is fine."

Cover Girl again stared at her, but this time she remained quiet. Luckily, the conversation at the table was enough of a distraction. However nearly an hour and three drinks later, Cover Girl decided to give her the third degree. "Okay, Al, spill it. I know you've been having a hard time ever since you and Flint called it quits. But something more is going on. You looked awful for weeks, and then you disappeared without a word of explanation. You seem better now, but I can tell that something is still not right."

"Court, leave her alone," Scarlett warned.

"Why? Is she dying?"

Before Lady Jaye could answer, Scarlett once again went to her defense. "Come on, give it a rest. She's not dying, but if she was, is this how you would want her to admit it?"

"Well then, the only other explanation is," Cover Girl trailed off with a gasp.

"What?" Jinx asked as she looked from one woman to the other.

"She's knocked up," Cover Girl answered with a smirk. "That would explain the bigger boobs."

"Wait, they are?" Lady Jaye asked as she looked down at her shirt. Flint had made a comment the previous week about their change in size, but she didn't think it was noticeable when she had her shirt on.

"You haven't noticed? They're huge. I had actually convinced myself that to console yourself after your break-up you went out to get a boob job. Although, I have to tell you, the way the guys talk about you in the motor pool you will have no problem looking for a replacement for Flint. With or without bigger tits."

Lady Jaye was having a hard time keeping up with Cover Girl's conversation. She was glad she hadn't had a sip of alcohol. "The guys in the motor pool talk about my breasts?"

"Are you kidding me? They talk about everyone's. They just make sure to limit their conversation about yours to the times that Flint is not within earshot. Anyway, that's not the point. Are you really pregnant?"

"Yes, but nobody is supposed to know."

Cover Girl cocked her head towards Scarlett. "How come Red knew?"

"Because she was the one that figured it out for me and clued me into my condition."

"Fair enough. Is Flint the baby daddy?"

Lady Jaye sighed. "Can I plead the Fifth?"

Cover Girl grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. So I'm also going to guess that you two aren't truly broken up, you're just trying to lay low so that General Bradshaw doesn't find out about Flint Jr?"

"Once again, I'm going to plead the Fifth," Lady Jaye said hoping that would put an end to the line of questioning.

Cover Girl signaled the waitress over again. "We have a lot of things to celebrate tonight." Once the waitress returned a second time, Cover Girl raised her shot glass and said, "To Flint's swimmers!"

"Oh my God," Lady Jaye said, as she buried her face in her hands.

"You don't understand, this is huge. Some of the guys were convinced that Flint was shooting blanks. With the number of times that we calculated that you must have had sex, we thought it was amazing that he hadn't knocked you up before now."

Jinx let out a laugh as Scarlett shook her head. "Do you guys actually get any work done in the motor pool, or do you just spend all day gossiping?"

"We can do both," Cover Girl said.

"I have to say, Courtney, I am enjoying being sober while you are drunk. This is quite the eye opening conversation," Lady Jaye said.

"And, I'm not even drunk yet." Cover Girl turned to Scarlett. "So are you and Duke faking the whole thing too?"

Scarlett took a long drink of her beer. "No. Let's just say that the main reason why I decided to go to Japan was not because I suddenly became deeply passionate about martial arts."

Cover Girl grinned. "I think you became deeply passionate about your martial arts instructor."

This time Jinx gasped. "Sensei?"

Cover Girl gestured towards Jinx. "Cover her ears. She's much too young to be part of this conversation."

"Please," Lady Jaye responded. "She was with Falcon. I doubt she is as innocent as she seems."

Jinx put her hands up. "Please don't hold the bad decisions I made when I first joined the Joe team against me."

"Don't worry, if we did that, no one would have a good reputation left on the Joe base." Cover Girl said. She then looked at her watch. "Decision time. Do we want to continue the girl bonding session here, or should we meet up with the guys like we promised?"

Lady Jaye had enough with the bonding session as she was afraid Cover Girl was going to start asking questions she didn't want to answer. So she voted to meet up with the others, with Scarlet and Jinx quickly agreeing. They settled the tab and then left. On the way to the car, Cover Girl put her arm around her. "Lady Jaye, in all seriousness, I'm really happy for you two. If you ever need a babysitter, you could always call me. But only after they're potty trained."

* * *

Flint walked back to the table with the precariously balanced round of beers in his hand. He handed them out and then took a seat. Most of the televisions in the bar were tuned to the World Series game. The fact that he hadn't known which two teams were even playing until he entered the bar was an indication of how out of touch with the rest of the world he had gotten.

The bar seemed to be trying to appeal to all of the patrons, by showing the game but continuing to play a variety of popular music. Flint had to admit that while he wasn't with his first choice of company for the evening, he was having a good time.

Lady Jaye had told him that she and the girls were going out earlier that day to give Scarlett and Jinx a farewell party of their own. He knew she had been dreading it, so when the rest of the team decided to follow up with a send-off party as well, he wasn't expecting her to come to the second party. In fact, at that moment, none of the women had shown up, but that hadn't dulled the Joes' enthusiasm.

Flint took a sip of his beer. He tuned out the conversation at the table as he focused on the baseball game. He remembered a time when sports were his life. He had always been a huge baseball and football fan, but life with the Joes hadn't given him a lot of time to follow his passions.

He again thought about the future and his impending fatherhood. He made a promise to himself that regardless of whether the baby was a boy or a girl, he was going to make him or her a sports fan. At the same time a popular alternative rock song that had been a hit the previous year began to play. That too made Flint smile. He remembered a time a few months prior that he and Lady Jaye had gotten into an in depth discussion about the song. She had said that despite the overly syrupy nature of the lyrics, she considered it a very romantic song.

Flint, on the other hand, couldn't get past the gimmicky nature of it. He told her that he would find it hard to believe that anyone would find the song romantic. No sooner that he finished reminiscing about that conversation, that he tuned into what his tablemates were discussing.

"This song always depresses the hell out of me," Dusty said. "Every time I hear it I wish I had a girl to sing it to."

Footloose nodded his head in agreement. "I know. I feel the same way."

Flint grinned as he took a sip of his beer. He then had an urge to tell Lady Jaye that she had been right all along. But then the topic of conversation changed.

"How about you, Flint? You have a new girl to work your magic on?"

Despite the fact that his life had become a series of lies and half-truths, he was not going to go down that path tonight. So he remained quiet.

Footloose nudged Dusty. "I'm going to guess based on that shit eating grin he just had that the answer is yes. But he doesn't want to tell us about her."

Dusty patted him on the back. "Come on, Flint, we're not looking for all the gory details, but you have to tell us something. You were practically married to Lady Jaye, so getting back out in the field must have been exciting."

Flint took a sip of his beer as a stalling technique. He was fairly sure that Lady Jaye had heard about the rumors going around about his mythical new girlfriend. And she had even said a time or two that they needed to do whatever they had to, to keep up appearances. But the idea of blatantly lying about a relationship that didn't exist still didn't sit well with him.

However, Footloose didn't want to drop it. "Come on, help a buddy out. Is she cute? Are you into her? Does she have a sister?"

Falcon leaned in. "Forget all that. Except maybe the sister part. But what inquiring minds really want to know is she good in bed?"

Flint could have remained quiet. But he knew they were only going to nag him further. So to get them off his back, he kept up pretenses. "Of course she's good. If not, I would have left weeks ago. I spent years perfecting my technique with Jaye, so I'm not going to let that go to waste."

Dusty had such a look of shock on his face, that Flint thought he might have taken the charade a little too far with his crass talk. But then he realized that Dusty was staring at a point behind him, so Flint turned around. And was horrified to see Lady Jaye standing behind him.

He instantly felt like a jackass. "Alison, listen, I didn't mean any of that," he began but she turned and ran out of the bar.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself. He rose to chase after her but Falcon stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Flint, that's not a good idea."

"Get your hands off of me," Flint said as he tried to pull his arm out of Falcon's grasp.

Roadblock appeared at his side. "Flint, calm down. Falcon's right. Leave her alone, you don't want to make it worse."

Flint understood that from their point of view they were trying to prevent a buddy from having a very nasty argument with an ex-girlfriend. So he tried to appreciate how they were looking out for him. "Guys, it's fine. I just want to apologize to her for being an ass."

Falcon still looked hesitant, but with a nod from Roadblock he let go of Flint's arm. Flint raced outside but cursed when he saw that Lady Jaye had already left. He turned around and went back inside. Luckily he took his own car, so he could chase after her. He assumed Lady Jaye was heading to the apartment.

He reached for his wallet and threw his share of the beer tab on the table. He then checked with Roadblock to make sure he could get a ride back with one of the other Joes. "That's not a problem, but I don't like the idea of you getting in the car right now," Roadblock said as he cocked his head towards the beers on the table.

"I've been here an hour, and I barely had a sip of my second beer, so I'm fine."

Roadblock nodded. "Okay. But still be careful getting back to HQ. You don't want to get busted by security."

"Don't worry, I'm not going back to HQ tonight." Flint walked away knowing full well he was leaving the impression that he was running off to console himself in the arms of his new girl. He just hoped the rumor mill was going to be kind to Lady Jaye in the morning. And that was why he was anxious to meet up with her to give her the heads-up.

But first he walked over to Scarlett. He interrupted her conversation with Slip-Stream and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I'm bailing early, but I have to go."

"Everything okay? I saw Jaye run out of here."

"Yeah," Flint grumbled. "It's just our bullshit deception rearing its ugly head. But enjoy the rest of your night." With a kiss on her cheek, he finally left the bar.

The apartment wasn't far away and he pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes later. He was happy to see that the light was on in the living room. Alison walked out of the bedroom as he walked in. "Dash, why are you here?"

"I hated how that scene played out, so I came to apologize."

Lady Jaye smiled at him. She took a seat on the couch and patted the space next to her. "You didn't have to leave the party to do it, but I do appreciate it. It was a little shocking to hear what a great sex life you have with your new girlfriend."

"I didn't mean anything I said. The guys were grilling me for details about this mythical woman. I should have ignored them, but they wouldn't let up. So I just started spouting a bunch of nonsense to shut them up."

Lady Jaye sighed. "I know. It's silly that I got upset over this. I've been the one pushing this farce. And while I stood there listening to what you said, I actually had the thought that it would make for a very dramatic moment if I ran out of the bar. But then I had a vision of you with this bombshell, and I realized I didn't have to act upset, because I truly was."

Flint wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "Alison, she doesn't exist."

"I know that. But I still hate the fact that we have to pretend she does."

"Me too. But hopefully it will only be for a little while longer."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Cover Girl figured out our secret tonight. And despite the fact that it made me nervous, I really liked seeing her reaction. She was so happy for us that it seems even more real to me. And it made me want to start telling more people."

"I've felt that way for a while now." Flint once again ran through the list of people he was going to tell the minute they got the all clear. This time, though, he also began to contemplate how they would feel when they learned of the deception. He felt that most of them would understand it was a necessity. However, there were a couple of people that he guessed would have a different reaction.

Flint was sure that Beachhead would have something that resembled a coronary, but he could handle that. The main person he was concerned about was Duke. Flint knew Duke would not take kindly to the fact that he had been blatantly lied to for weeks. Flint sighed as he realized there was nothing he could do about it, as the past couldn't be changed. He just hoped that Duke would realize that Flint did what he did to protect his growing family.

With that thought he kissed the top of Lady Jaye's head. He noticed that she had fallen asleep in his arms. At that moment watching her sleeping peacefully, knowing their baby was growing inside of her, he was reminded of what was truly important. He was sure that once the baby was born all of the worries and fear he was currently experiencing would be forgotten.


	24. Chapter 24

Lady Jaye knocked on her roommate's open door and asked, "Do you need help packing?"

Scarlett poked her head out of her closet. "Sure, I'm almost done but I'd still like the company."

"Sorry, about that, I got hung up in the computer room."

"No problem. I saw that you're chasing down a few leads."

"I was. It's funny how suddenly things picked up. Chuckles came across one item that caught his attention, and while researching that we actually picked up clues to both the Twins and Destro's current locations. I think we might actually have a couple of missions to plan next week."

"I hope they pan out for you," Scarlett said.

Lady Jaye took a look around the room. Scarlett had been busy. Three suitcases were mostly full, and her bed was covered in items. "What about the stuff on your bed? Are they going in the suitcases?"

"No, I'm going to ship that down to my parents so they can put it in storage for me. In the corner are a couple of boxes and bubble wrap if you want to start packing them up."

Lady Jaye grabbed the box and got to work. Most of the items were knickknacks that Scarlett had collected over the years. But one piece caught her eye. She picked up what looked like a piece of a broken shell and asked Scarlett what it was.

"That is one of the remnants of the Baroness's conch."

Lady Jaye laughed. "Really? You kept a piece?"

Scarlett blushed slightly. "I know it's silly to hold onto it, and I debated finally trashing it, but it seemed too memorable to get rid of."

"No, I agree. This is a great piece of Joe history."

That historical event happened when the Baroness had taken the Joe men prisoner. Once the women learned that the Joes had literally fallen under the Baroness's spell, Scarlett had been practically inconsolable. At first Lady Jaye had been annoyed and would point out at every opportunity that Scarlett wasn't the only one deeply concerned over a teammate's fate. But shortly before they launched the final attack to free the men, Lady Jaye approached Scarlett with her fear that she had just made a deal with the devil. "I'm really starting to think that I made a mistake relying on Xamot's help with this," Lady Jaye had said as she watched Scarlett check and double check her weaponry.

"I don't think you had much of a choice. We can't do this alone, and there's a reason why the adage 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' was created."

"I know. I'm just afraid that I'm letting my personal fears cloud my judgment. The idea of Flint not only being held prisoner, but not even in control of his actions, scares the hell out of me. So I hope I'm not making a really bad decision because I want to get to him quickly."

"You sat it on the meeting. Everyone agreed to the plan. We all want to get in there and get our buddies back as soon as possible. And if it helps you feel better about making the decision, if you didn't make the plea to go after the guys, I would have. I'm just as worried sick over Duke."

Lady Jaye almost made a comment that she felt the redhead's pain, but she realized that she actually did not. If they were successful in freeing the Joe men, Lady Jaye would be able to show Flint exactly how much she missed and loved him. Scarlett was not so lucky. She too was truly in love with and pined after Duke, who had so far kept her at arm's length. Even if Duke returned unharmed, Scarlett would still not be able to consummate her love for him.

So Lady Jaye put aside her own fears and worries and walked over to Scarlett. She hugged her and told her that they were going to get the men back. Lady Jaye turned out to be prophetic, and they did in fact free the men from the conch shell's power. And as she also predicted after the men returned to base she and Flint lay together in his bed, catching each other up on the events of the last few days. Lady Jaye considered herself lucky that they had dodged another proverbial bullet, and she couldn't help but think of her friend. When Lady Jaye had stopped by her room earlier to quickly pick up a few things to bring to Flint's room, she noticed that once again Scarlett had gone to her room alone.

"What's up with Duke?" she asked suddenly.

Flint laughed. "That's a hell of a conversation changer. And you'll have to be more specific, as the man has quite the many idiosyncrasies."

"True. But I'm talking about his deal with Scarlett. Or actually his lack of anything with Scarlett. She was a nervous wreck the last few days because she was so worried about him. She's so in love with him, and he barely gives her the time of day."

"To be honest, I don't get it either. I know he's concerned about the frat regs, and that since he's basically in command while Hawk is in DC, he feels he has a greater obligation to play by the rules. And I commend him for his strong sense of duty. I know I didn't have that kind of fortitude to resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

Lady Jaye smiled at the memory as she carefully wrapped the conch remnant in bubble wrap. However, she realized that the same memory must have been bittersweet to Scarlett. While Scarlett helped saved the day, she unfortunately did not end up with the guy at the end. But that didn't diminish the heroics she had shown. The Joes had gone up against poor odds, and had emerged victorious. Lady Jaye suspected that was the real reason why Scarlett was holding on to the trinket.

Scarlett emerged from the closet holding a couple of outfits that she packed into one of the suitcases. She then came over and helped Lady Jaye finish packing the boxes. Once she sealed the box with tape she announced. "Just a trip to Goodwill and UPS and I am done."

Lady Jaye swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat. "I can take care of that after you leave."

"No, it's okay. My flight doesn't leave for a few more hours, so I have time."

"I can give you a hand." Lady Jaye and Scarlett startled and they turned towards the open bedroom door to see Duke standing there. "Sorry to scare you. I knocked on your main door, but I guess you didn't hear me."

Lady Jaye decided it was time to make a quick exit. She gave Scarlett a hug. "I'm going to head back to work. Make sure you find me before you leave."

Scarlett nodded as she continued to shoot daggers at Duke. Lady Jaye patted him on the shoulder on her way out, as she willed him to find the right words to say.

Duke watched Lady Jaye walk out and close the bedroom door behind her. He also waited until he heard the outer door close before he turned around to Scarlett. He wasn't quite sure why he was waiting until Lady Jaye was truly gone, as he was fairly certain that Scarlett was going to give her a recap of the conversation. However, what he was going to say was hard enough that he didn't want an audience eavesdropping in.

He looked towards Scarlett's and saw her anger plainly written on her face. Shana O'Hara was a very passionate woman, and many times he had been on the receiving end of both the good and bad of it. He had hoped that time had dulled some of her current anger towards him, but that didn't look to be a case. Hopefully his words would be a start down that path.

"So I guess you're all packed?" It was an idiotic way to start the conversation, and not at all like he planned and practiced in his room all afternoon. But seeing her room devoid of all her belongings, hammered home the reality that she was leaving him. He had been hit with a sense of sadness that he had forgotten his rehearsed speech.

Scarlett exhaled sharply. "Duke, why are you here? Are you hoping to break my heart one last time before I leave?"

"No, not at all. In fact I wanted to apologize for every one of my actions these last few weeks."

Instead of responding, Scarlett crossed her arms across her chest and continued to shoot daggers at him. He took that as a sign to continue. "Shana, I am truly sorry for how much I hurt you. That was never my intention. In fact, I wanted the complete opposite. Once I learned that we had to end things, I wrongly thought that the best way to go about that was to do a complete and total break. I figured that by giving you your space you would grieve but then move on.

"What I didn't count on was how devastated I was going to be by our break-up. When I saw how upset you were when I told you it was over, I wanted to comfort you, but I was afraid that I would give in and take back what I said. Because even though I knew it was what had to be done, there was a big part of me that wanted to say the hell with my responsibilities and go back to you. But I couldn't. I hid behind the excuse that what I was doing was best for you, but in reality it was what was best for me.

"I've regretted my actions every day since then. I not only lost your love, but because I was too proud and selfish I also lost your friendship. I know it's too late now with you moving halfway around the world, but I didn't want you to leave without knowing that not only do I still love you, but I will always love you."

Scarlett approached him, and he relaxed his stance, ready to accept the hug she was offering. But then a moment later he recoiled, as instead he received a nasty right hook to his jaw. "You're a real son of a bitch," she spat out. "Did that confession make you feel better? You say that you did this for my benefit, but I call bullshit. The only part I believe and agree with is when you said you acted selfishly. Because, guess what Duke," she said his name with such venom, that he actually cringed. "You're still a selfish asshole. You don't even respect me enough to let me leave in peace."

Duke began to plead with her to calm down, but she again turned on him. He was afraid that she was going to hit him again, but this time she held her punch. However, she used her anger in her tone of words instead of her fists. "Get out of here. And if you care about my feelings at all, you will make sure I don't see you again before I leave tonight."

* * *

Lady Jaye stood to the side of the commissary and watched as practically every Joe crowded around Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Jinx. It was an orderly procession as each person said their individual goodbyes to the three departing Joes.

After another few minutes, Snake-Eyes pointed to his wrist, and the two women nodded their heads. Lady Jaye stifled a sob as she knew it was time for them to leave. Most of the Joes remained in the commissary, but some of their closest friends made the walk with them to the tarmac. Falcon and Law walked with Jinx, Stalker with Snake-Eyes, and Lady Jaye went to Scarlett's side. Lady Jaye hadn't seen her since she left her room that afternoon, so she was curious as to how the talk with Duke went. Since he hadn't been one of the guys in the commissary, Lady Jaye suspected it hadn't gone very well.

Scarlett confirmed that fact once Lady Jaye asked. "I know this is going to be surprising to you, but I let my temper get the best of me."

Lady Jaye couldn't help smiling, and Scarlett did as well. "But I did get the main points that had been bothering me these last few weeks off my chest. And then afterwards I spent about an hour composing a letter to him. I was going to drop it off at his office before I left, but I'm not ready for him to read it yet."

Scarlett stopped walking and handed Lady Jaye an envelope that she pulled from her purse. "Can you hold on to it? I'll let you know in a week or two when I'm ready for him to read it. I want to get settled in Japan and in a good routine first. That way if he responds the way I think he will, I will be less tempted to come running home."

There was a selfish part of Lady Jaye that wanted to give Duke the letter right after she left, but she knew she needed to respect her friend's wishes. "You can count on me."

"Thank you," Scarlett said and the two women hugged. "I'll call you in a couple of days. And do me one last favor. Don't name the baby Junior. Especially if she's a girl."

Despite her tears Lady Jaye laughed. "I'll make sure to run our top choices by you."

Scarlett gave her one last squeeze and then ran to join the others. They climbed into their transport and took off shortly thereafter. Lady Jaye stood on the tarmac watching the transport until it disappeared from view. She still had her hand in the air from waving goodbye to Scarlett, Jinx, and Snake-Eyes. Now that they were officially gone, she dropped her hand and used it to wipe away at her tears.

She stayed for a few more minutes. She wanted to get a better handle on her emotions before she returned to base. A hand on her shoulder startled her. At first she thought that Flint had thrown all caution to the wind and had come to comfort her, but when she turned around she saw Shipwreck standing there.

He smiled at her sadly. "I'm really going to miss Scarlett."

"I am too," Lady Jaye said as she collapsed into his arms.

Flint walked out onto the tarmac. He knew Scarlett had been scheduled to leave, and he guessed that Lady Jaye had gone out to see her friend off. So he wasn't surprised to find her out on the airfield. But he was surprised to find her in the arms of Shipwreck.

His natural instinct was to charge the two of them, to get them separated as quickly as possible. But as he reminded himself yet again, he wasn't allowed to do that anymore while on Joe property. The fact that he had to stop himself gave him a moment to evaluate the situation. It was obvious that Lady Jaye was upset over the departure of her friend, and he hoped that Shipwreck was only comforting her in her time of need.

Since Flint was no longer able to do that, he was grateful that she had someone else to turn to. But the problem was that he didn't totally trust Shipwreck. Especially since in Shipwreck's eyes Lady Jaye was back on the market. And while he knew that Lady Jaye would put the sailor in his place if he became frisky, Flint too was not going to sit idly by and watch as another man hit on his woman. Even if it meant incurring the wrath of General Bradshaw.

However, before he made a move, a shrill beeping caught his attention. It had been so long since his phone sounded a base alert, he had almost forgotten what it sounded like. As he reached for it to see the message he noticed that Lady Jaye too pulled out her phone. The message from Duke was simple, "Come to Comm."

Flint waited for Lady Jaye and Shipwreck to walk over. "What's going on?" Lady Jaye asked.

"Don't know. You know Duke, he likes to be cryptic in his messages."

"Aw, man, how come I never get called into the important meetings?" Shipwreck asked.

Flint just stared at him a moment. "Do you remember your very brief turn at being in charge?"

"I do. I had this place in ship-shape condition."

Both Flint and Lady Jaye laughed. "That selective memory must really come in handy for you," Lady Jaye said as she patted Shipwreck on the shoulder..

Once they parted company on their way to Communications, Flint asked. "Are you okay?"

Lady Jaye nodded. "I am. I feel like I've been dreading that moment for so long, that I'm actually glad it passed. I'm sure though once I go back to my suite and see Scarlett's empty room, I'm going to be a mess."

They entered the Comm. and found Duke watching one of the TV screens. It only took a glance at the TV for Flint to realize why they were called in. A graphic on the screen proclaimed that a prominent Pentagon general had just resigned due to a scandal. Since the video was of General Howe, who had led the budget proceedings in DC, Flint guessed the story was about him. "What happened?" he asked.

"I'm not sure as details are sketchy. I put in a call to Hawk, but I'm going to guess has his hands full at the moment." Duke turned to them. "From what I understand General Howe was one of the generals in the Joe's corner during the proceedings?"

Lady Jaye nodded. "He was. He actually quieted a lot of the dissent, which I think is why it went as well as it did."

"That's why this news concerns me," Duke said. "I thought you two should know as well, since you spent some time with him."

"So now what?" Flint asked.

"There's not a lot we could do, except wait and see. I might be overreacting, as one general doesn't make or break policies, but I don't like the fact that we just lost one of our supporters."

"I agree," Lady Jaye said. "Luckily, I have come up with a couple of leads that might be worth checking out. I'll have all the information ready to go for tomorrow's OC."

"Good. We need to prove the Joe team is still relevant."

"Let me finalize my report, and I'll see you two in the morning."

Once Lady Jaye left, Flint turned to Duke. He noticed the darkening bruise on the Top's cheek. "So I guess your good-bye speech to Scarlett didn't go so well?"

Duke rubbed at his cheek. "I don't know how, but I had forgotten just how hard of a punch she can throw."

"I'm sorry," Flint said.

"Don't be. I deserved it. Regardless of how justified I may feel my initial actions were, the way I handled it was a mistake. And then instead of trying to apologize and fix things I continued to make mistakes. So it's no surprise that she hates me."

Flint came to the realization that he wasn't the only one making questionable decisions because of the woman he loved. As he looked at the TV screen, he wondered if maybe that was General Howe's downfall as well. It was a common story in Washington. As he watched the replay of General Howe walking out of the Pentagon, trying to shield himself from the cameras, Flint hoped that he wasn't getting a preview of his future.


	25. Chapter 25

For the first time in weeks, Lady Jaye was excited for the morning's officer call. She actually had Cobra related news to share with the others. To celebrate she had Chuckles help her put together written packages outlining the threats, which she passed out to the others after she entered the conference room.

"Good morning all," General Bradshaw said as he entered the room. He picked up the file. "Somebody has been busy."

"I have, finally." Lady Jaye replied.

"Good. I was going to kick-off with the news out of DC, but why don't you start?"

Lady Jaye stood up and began her presentation. "The first sheet in your file is an overhead shot of a non-descript warehouse in Springfield, Illinois. It's nothing fancy, but it is a huge piece of real estate. Extensive Enterprises purchased it about ten days ago. That in itself didn't raise a red flag. Over the last few months, EE has been making many real estate purchases. We kept an eye on all of them. Most were promptly resold, or seemed to be used to truly expand their business portfolio. None seemed like they were going to be used for nefarious purposes. Until now.

"Ever since the ink dried on the sale, there had been a lot of activity at this warehouse. Trucks coming and going at all hours of the night. Again, maybe they're just using this building as a large storage space. But what sealed the deal in my mind that there might be more going on, is that one of the Twins was spotted at a very swanky restaurant in downtown Springfield a couple of nights ago." Lady Jaye held up the copy of the article published in the Springfield Union that showed Xamot deep in conversation with a buxom brunette. "Maybe Xamot has a lot more free time on his hands these days, but I doubt he's hanging out in Springfield just to oversee the move of insignificant storage."

Flint leaned forward and smiled. "It sounds like we need to pay our old buddy a visit. Anybody mind if I take this one?"

General Bradshaw looked at the leadership staff. Duke and Falcon shook their heads, while Beachhead grumbled. "I'd love a trip off base, but since he has seniority on me I guess I'm staying put."

Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Beachhead, I might have something for you as well."

General Bradshaw nodded. "Flint, it's your mission. Go with a two prong attack. Take a couple of guys with you to pay them a public visit, so they know that we are aware of their activities. Also take Lady Jaye, in case you feel there needs to be some undercover surveillance."

Flint opened his mouth to protest, but Lady Jaye beat him to the punch. "Actually, sir, I was thinking Chuckles might be better suited for the mission. I've had many run-ins with the Twins over the years, and even in an undercover capacity they might see through my disguise. They are not as familiar with Chuckles, so he might be more effective."

"That's fine by me. Any objections?" General Bradshaw asked the room, and was met by a series of head shakes. He then waved to Lady Jaye to continue.

"Okay, now to door number two. It's not as exciting as door number one, but it's still something I think should be put on our radar. Remember Castle Destro in Scotland?" Lady Jaye asked with a pointed look at Flint.

"How could I forget? That place was in my nightmares for weeks."

"And you didn't even get to experience its full range of hospitality. It's been lying in ruin for the last couple of years, but it looks like someone has started a reconstruction project on the site. According to our records search, it is still in Destro's name, but as of right now there hasn't been any sightings of Ol' Chrome Dome or the Baroness. But I think it's in our best interest to keep an eye on it."

"I agree," Flint said. "The last time Cobra worked on that site they let a monster loose. I don't think we want a repeat performance."

"Okay," General Bradshaw said. "Since you're passing on Springfield, Lady Jaye you can keep a watch on Scotland. But in the meantime, make sure Flint and his team have everything they need for their mission.

"Moving on to the next item of business, I have an official statement from the Pentagon regarding General Howe's abrupt resignation yesterday. If anyone wants to read the exact verbiage I have it here, but to summarize they said that business will continue as usual, and his replacement will be appointed by the end of the week."

Lady Jaye doubted the veracity of the first part of the statement, and based on the mumblings going on around the table, she wasn't the only one. But General Bradshaw put a stop to any discussion. "There isn't any reason to speculate what any of this means right now. The Joe team has a course of action that it needs to continue to follow, and let DC worry about themselves. If it becomes a problem for us, either General Abernathy or I will take action at that time."

Lady Jaye hoped that the general would follow up with announcing his transfer date, but instead he segued into a discussion with Ace about the current status of the Skystrikers. The meeting wrapped up a few minutes later. Lady Jaye watched as General Bradshaw packed up. She turned towards Flint. "Just give me a couple of hours to collate my findings. I can be by your office by lunchtime with a package."

"That's fine. I need some time to get the team together and work on our travel details."

Later that morning. Lady Jaye knocked on Flint's office door and entered. She nodded towards Beachhead and said, "Good, you're both here." She handed a file folder to Beachhead. "These are our preliminary findings on Castle Destro."

"Great, thanks," Beachhead said. He stood from his desk. "I'm going to take this to the commissary to read while I have an early lunch. Can I get you anything?"

They both shook their head. "No, I'll be down in a little while," Flint said.

"Okay. I'll be back in about an hour," Beachhead said before he closed the door.

Lady Jaye pointed towards the door as she turned towards Flint. "Am I hallucinating or was Beachhead just acting very polite?"

"He was. I think he's starting to get soft in his old age."

* * *

A few days later, Lady Jaye looked up at the knock on her door. She saw Ace standing there, so she waved him in. He closed the door behind him and asked her if she had a few minutes to talk.

"Sure, what's up?" she answered.

"Have you heard anything official about the Joe team being dismantled?"

Lady Jaye frowned. The rumor mill had been running rampant ever since news of the scandal surrounding General Howe broke. And as was typical, everyone seemed to be jumping to the worst conclusion. But if Ace was coming to her directly, she wondered if there was a deeper credibility to the rumors. "That was one of many theories I've heard being tossed around in the last few days. But no, I haven't heard anything through the official channels."

Ace took a seat at Scarlett's empty desk. "Jaye, I know sometimes you hear things that you're not allowed to speak freely about. But, I'm asking as one of your oldest friends to please give me the heads-up if this is something I need to worry about."

"You don't have another silly pool going on, do you?"

Ace shook his head. "No. Thanks to General Bradshaw, I'm not allowed to. But even if I was, I wouldn't make up one over something this depressing. The reason why I ask, is that I have this girlfriend in town. It's gotten pretty serious the last few months. In fact I've been thinking about popping the question. But if I'm going to suddenly be transferred to somewhere across the country, I want to give her the heads up so she can be prepared. I already told the general that I don't want to transfer out of here, but from what I'm hearing we may not have a choice anymore."

"First off, congratulations. I'm really happy for you. And I promise that I'm not under some kind of gag order, as I truly haven't heard anything. But with my change in duties, I probably wouldn't get an early warning anyway. However, I can talk to the PFC that took over my personnel assignment and see if he's heard anything."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

Lady Jaye waited until Ace left before she stood up. She had to rebutton her pants. For the most part they fit, but they were uncomfortable. So whenever she knew she was going to be sitting for a while she unbuttoned them to give herself a little breathing room. She was glad that she had the foresight to order a pair of the next size up pants while she was on leave. They were currently at the tailors having the length altered, and she made a mental note to pick them up after she talked to PFC Solomon.

She took a walk to the area of the base dedicated to the higher ranking Greenshirts. She found PFC Solomon furiously typing away on his computer. "Wow! That's great timing," he said once he looked up and saw her. "I was just getting ready to go look for you. I have a problem I hope you can help me with."

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"How do I go about canceling a set of orders?" PFC Solomon asked.

Lady Jaye nodded. At least this was a problem she could help solve. She leaned over the Greenshirt's shoulder and walked him through the steps.

"I did all that. But when it gets to the last screen, it gives me an error and deletes all the changes I made."

Lady Jaye frowned. "Are you sure that General Bradshaw approved the cancellation?"

"Well, that's where it gets tricky. Because it's his orders that are being canceled."

Lady Jaye felt like all the air was sucked from her lungs. She grabbed the back of Solomon's chair to steady herself. She fought hard to keep herself in check, but unfortunately the Greenshirt noticed her reaction.

"Lady Jaye are you okay?"

She fought to maintain her composure. "Oh, I'm fine. I just remembered that I owe the general a report, and he's not going to be happy that I still haven't turned it in." She cleared her throat and then forced herself to finish the tutorial session with the Greenshirt.

Luckily, the answer to the problem presented itself fairly quickly. "I see the problem. While the cancelation order is in the system, your counterpart on DC's end didn't submit a finalized version. You need to give them a call to tell them to do so, and then you'll be able to finish it."

PFC Solomon looked relieved. "Oh thank goodness. I thought I was doing something wrong."

Now that her tutoring skills were over, Lady Jaye turned to leave. But then she remembered the original reason why she came. She really didn't want to hear any more bad news, but she promised Ace, and she figured she couldn't feel any worse than she did at the moment. So she forced herself to ask the question. "A lot of the guys are a little worried about their future on the team. You haven't seen a sudden influx of transfer orders come through lately, have you?"

PFC Solomon looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Lady Jaye, I'm really not supposed to talk about those kinds of things."

It was all the answer she needed. "That's okay. I understand. In fact, I shouldn't have asked in the first place."

She then quickly left. She knew she needed to get off base to process the news. The errand to the tailor's gave her the perfect excuse to do some thinking. She wished she could call Flint, but he and his team had been in radio silence for the previous day and a half. Which was probably a good thing. She knew he wasn't going to react well to the news and this gave her a chance to figure out her own game plan to present to him.

She picked up her pants, and went back to the apartment to change. They fit much better than her current pair, but there was less extra room to them than she was expecting. So the one thing that was clear was that she was going to need to admit her pregnancy, most likely within the next couple of weeks at most.

The next thing she decided, on her drive back to Headquarters, was that when she did she wasn't going to admit who the father was. She knew Flint was going to have an absolute conniption at the thought, but they didn't have a choice. Now that the Hawk lifeline had been taken away, when faced with admitting his paternity and being slapped with a dishonorable discharge, or keeping quiet and staying with the Joes, the choice seemed like a no-brainer.

Having a rudimentary game plan made her feel better. Once back on base, she checked in at her desk and saw a note that Beachhead wanted to see her. She sighed and had the thought that her afternoon just kept getting better. Not wanting to delay the next round of bad news, she went to his office.

"Finally, you're back," Beachhead said once she entered. "General Bradshaw okayed a mission to check out Castle Destro. There still haven't been any confirmed Cobra sightings, but he felt that it wouldn't hurt that we take our own look around. Since you have a pretty good history with the place, we want you on the team."

Lady Jaye took a moment to debate the mission. The safe and sensible option was to make up an excuse on why she couldn't go. But Lifeline had said that as long as there was no threat of Cobra activity, she was able to go out in the field up to twenty weeks, which was still four weeks away. Knowing that this was probably going to be her last chance of a mission with the Joes she nodded. "I'm in."


	26. Chapter 26

Lady Jaye decided the matter was hopeless. No amount of tugging was going to make her pants fit. She couldn't believe how quickly her stomach expanded in the last couple of days. She had tried the jeans on before she left for Scotland, and while they had been tight, they had still buttoned.

She headed down to the front desk, and asked for a couple of safety pins. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beachhead come down the elevator, so instead of going back to her room, she went to the lobby rest room. In there she fastened her pants as best as she could. Luckily, since it was undercover work, she could use the excuse of wanting to seem casual, so she untucked her shirt.

She went back out into the lobby, where Beachhead was in deep conversation with the girl behind the reception desk. Lady Jaye took advantage of the full length mirror on the opposite end of the lobby to take a good look at herself. She flattened her shirt over her growing belly. It was small, and probably still not noticeable to anyone else, but she could tell that she had a baby bump.

"Are you actually preening and primping yourself in the mirror?" Beachhead asked, breaking her from her revelry.

Lady Jaye quickly composed herself. "Sorry, I just wanted to make myself look the part."

Beachhead shook his head. "You let yourself get soft these last few months. Don't think I haven't noticed. But don't worry, a couple weeks on Beach's PT and I'll have you back in shape." He then turned his attention to Ripcord and Gung-Ho who joined them in the lobby. "Lady Jaye, you and Ripcord stay in town and see if you can get any of the locals talking about the castle. Gung-Ho and I are going for a hike to the construction site. If we're not back in four hours, come look for us."

Later that morning, Lady Jaye casually scanned the pub while she half listened to the conversation Ripcord was having with his new friend Dougal. She felt it was about time that someone bonded with one of the locals. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A strangely dressed, hunched over old woman made a quick exit from the pub. Patting Ripcord on the shoulder she told him that she was going to step outside for a moment.

Lady Jaye caught a glimpse again of the woman as she made her way down the street. The woman had a pronounced hobble, so it was easy to give her chase. As Lady Jaye neared her, she decided that either the woman was much older than she first appeared, or had suffered some kind of debilitating injury. Either way, Lady Jaye began to suspect that she was on a wild goose chase. But her gut instinct was telling her there was something off about the woman.

Lady Jaye got within arm's reach, when the woman suddenly stopped and spun around with a surprising quickness. The woman looked her up and down, and then her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Lady Jaye let out a gasp as she suspected that the woman was having some kind of stroke. She went towards her, and the old woman grabbed a hold of her arm with an amazing amount of strength. "You will give birth to a girl."

Lady Jaye startled at the comment. "What?" she asked dumbly.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I see it clearly. Many changes are in your future, but your daughter will bring great joy to you and your husband."

"How… how do you know," Lady Jaye began to stammer but the woman continued her prophecy.

"Enjoy what times you have together, for there won't be many. There will be sadness and misfortune once the evil in the shadows is known."

Despite herself, Lady Jaye became shaken up over the cryptic messages. She again was going to ask the woman what she was talking about when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around as she reached for the javelins that weren't at her back. Luckily, she didn't need them as she came face to face with Beachhead.

"You okay? Ripcord said you went running out of the pub."

"Yes. I was just chasing after," she began to explain as she turned back around. But the woman was gone. Lady Jaye scanned the mostly empty street but it seemed like the woman vanished. "There was an old woman I started talking to. I thought maybe it was the Baroness or Zarana in disguise."

"Was it?" Beachhead asked.

"I don't know. She acted like a fortune-teller with messages about my future."

Beachhead laughed. "You don't actually believe that stuff, do you?"

"Beach, after some of the stuff I've experienced the last few years, I don't discredit anything."

"Okay, but I'm going to bet this was a local woman looking to prey on tourists. I bet she pops up again and tells you she can give you more details for a price."

Lady Jaye nodded. "You're probably right." However, as they went back into the pub she dwelled on what the woman said. Maybe the old woman was just using a set of vague statements to lure Lady Jaye back for a more in-depth reading. But deep down, Lady Jaye had a hard time believing that. She knew for a fact that changes were coming in the very near future. And while the woman had a fifty percent chance of being correct about the sex of the baby she intuitively knew about, Lady Jaye strongly suspected that she was in fact, having a girl. Which was why her last statement left Lady Jaye so shaken.

She entered the pub, and sat at the table with the fellow Joes. While she listened to Ripcord and Beachhead recap their morning, the old woman's words began to fade and she calmed down. But then a greater sense of sadness overcame her as she looked around the table at her friends and teammates, and began to feel a sense of loss. She knew that was silly, and she was just being dramatic, but she couldn't help it. It was more than just her hormones running wild, she felt like that this was the last time she was going to be out on a mission. Even if she and Flint managed to dodge the very real possibility of a dishonorable discharge, she knew her life was going to change dramatically once the baby arrived. She couldn't see how she could juggle her Joe lifestyle with motherhood, especially if she was going to be a single mother in the eyes of the army.

If she kept quiet about the baby's paternity, she wouldn't have someone to designate as a caregiver in case she was sent in the field or deployed. Her parents had died when she was a teenager, as well as her grandmother who raised her. She had no siblings, or aunts and uncles. She probably had a distant cousin somewhere in her family line, but she had no idea who they were. Over the years she had made good friends, but no one was still close enough to her that she would burden with the task of being a stand-in parent.

And even if she did, she doubted Flint would just stand idly by while she shipped his child off to a stranger. She had briefly considered designating him in her family plan, and coming up with a convoluted series of lies to the effect of him not being the father, but being concerned enough for the child's well being that he wanted to be a father figure. But not only did she think General Bradshaw wouldn't believe the story, she decided it crossed too far over the line.

So she would have to convince General Bradshaw to keep her on the Joe team without sending her into the field. And she would have to hire some kind of on-call nanny that would be flexible with her schedule. All while forcing Flint to see and raise the baby on the sly while he publicly denied his role in fathering him or her.

Laying it on the line like that made her question if staying on the Joe team was worth it. It wasn't going to be easy to walk away from the life she loved, but she didn't see any other option. She was going to be bringing a baby into the world, and he or she deserved a stable family life. She thought back to the old woman's words, about the baby bringing the two of them great joy. That wasn't going to happen in the scenario she had just laid out in her mind. So she had to make the tough call.

She hoped Flint would be on board with her plan, as she would expect him to also quit the Joe team. They entered the illegal relationship together, conceived the child together, so she would expect that they should also reap the repercussions together as well. He had told her several times over the last few weeks that he would do anything to stay with her, so she hoped that wasn't just lip service on his part.

Gung-Ho let out a raucous laugh which brought her back to the present, and she realized she had paid no attention to the conversation at the table. She decided she needed some air. Her thoughts, combined with the smoke and loud noise inside the pub was starting suffocate her. She made an excuse as she stood from the table and left. Once outside in the cooler air, she forced herself to calm down. She decided it was definitely time to come clean. She was tired of hiding and lying to everyone. Whatever consequences came from her admission, she was finally ready to accept them.

"Jaye, are you okay?" Ripcord asked as he walked towards her.

"I'm fine," Lady Jaye replied.

Ripcord put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't look fine. What's going on?"

Lady Jaye looked at him. She knew he meant well, and that he was truly concerned about her well-being. But as much as she needed to confide in a friend, this was neither the time nor the place. Luckily, there was enough going on with the Joe team that she could talk about her fears in a general sense. "Thank you for your concern, I really do appreciate it. But I'm just being overly sensitive. With all the changes going on with the Joes, I guess I got choked up in there thinking this might be our last mission together."

Ripcord nodded. "I know what you mean. Ace came to me the other day, all worked up about the possibility of mass transfers. I try not to let the rumors get to me, but sometimes it's hard."

"Guilty as charged," Lady Jaye said with a smile.

Ripcord squeezed her shoulder and then turned to walk away. Lady Jaye figured she dodged a bullet but then he stopped and turned to face her again. "No matter what you have going on, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

It was a sweet sentiment, and she appreciated Ripcord's friendship even more. She again wished she was able to speak freely, instead she just nodded. She hoped that Ripcord would leave her alone, but he didn't. Instead he took a step closer. "Alison, I mean it." Lady Jaye bristled at the use of her real name. She didn't think he even knew what it was. Her heart started to pound as she realized she was entering a very awkward situation, but she was at a loss as to how to stop it.

Ripcord continued. He put his hand against her cheek. "I know you've been through a lot recently. And you're probably looking for a friend, or maybe more."

Lady Jaye put her hand on Ripcord's and gently moved it away. "Ripcord, Wally, this means more to me than you could ever know. But," she paused as she debated how to finish the sentence. Her earlier thoughts influenced her action. She was going to start telling the truth. "I can't do this. I'm pregnant."

Shock ran over Ripcord's face and he took a step back. "Oh my God. Is it Flint's?"

After weeks of telling lies and half-truths it should have been easy to call up another fib. But now that she started down the road, she wasn't going to go back. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Does he know?" Ripcord asked and she nodded.

Ripcord's shock was replaced by a vicious anger. "That son of a bitch. Wait until I get back to Headquarters. I don't care if he outranks me, he's going to learn he can't treat you like he has been."

Lady Jaye grabbed his arm. "Again, Wally, I really appreciate that you want to protect me, but you don't understand."

"Understand what? He's treated you like garbage. Plus, he's been strutting around base talking about the new girlfriend he picked up minutes after you two broke up. And he's been doing it while he knows you're carrying his child?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "No, that's the part you don't get. We never broke up and there is no other woman. Everything has been an act since General Bradshaw arrived. We knew we couldn't let him find out about us, so we put on the show of our break-up and tried to keep our distance on base. But then I learned I was pregnant, and the stakes were raised. We put more effort into the act. We got a place together off base. So all those nights he claimed he was with his girlfriend, he was with me. We figured it was only a temporary deception until Hawk came back and we could throw ourselves on his mercy.

"But I found out Hawk's not coming back. Then this mission came up, and I figured it was my last hurrah. I can't hide anymore, and honestly, I'm sick of the lying. Tomorrow when I get back, I'm going to talk to Flint to tell him we have to tell the general the truth." Lady Jaye wiped away a tear that started to fall. "So basically, Ripcord, I think this is our last day together as teammates."

Ripcord opened his arms and she fell against his chest. "Alison, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you for that, but don't be." She pulled out of his grasp. "I'm going to miss the team, and you, and the other guys that have become my family the last few years. But at least it's all for a good cause. I know you have issue with Flint, but you have to believe that he loves me as much as I do him." She rubbed at her abdomen. "And now we're going to have a chance to focus on the new family we're creating."

Ripcord stayed quiet for a few moments. "So you don't need me to kick his ass tomorrow?"

Lady Jaye let out a laugh as she wiped at her face. "No. But I thank you for offering. And listening to my confession just now. You're a good guy Wallace Weems. Some girl is going to be really lucky to have you."


	27. Chapter 27

"We're making a pit stop first," Lift-Ticket announced as the four Joes climbed into his Tomahawk at the pre-dawn hour.

"Oh yeah? Are we extending our European vacation?" Gung Ho asked.

"No," Lift-Ticket replied. "Hawk wants to have a chat with you so he asked me to stop in DC on our way back."

Lady Jaye took a seat next to Beachhead. "I wonder if he's going to address the rumors that have been running rampant on base. It seems like everyone has a different doom and gloom scenario."

"That's the problem with rumors. Nobody knows what the hell they're talking about, but they act like they do. It only causes panic." Beachhead rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "But I'm guessing in a few hours we're going to find out what newest bombshell is heading our way."

Lady Jaye agreed with him. But she was actually looking forward to hearing whatever news Hawk had. Hopefully, it would take away from her own ticking time bomb.

They landed in DC a few hours later at Andrews Air Force Base. As they debarked, they were met by Hawk in an arriving jeep. "Good morning, all. While Lift-Ticket is supervising the refueling, I have a few things I want to send back with you to Joe HQ. Private Martinez will take you to the storage area to pick it up. Ripcord and Gung Ho, can you go with him to pick it up? In the meantime, I have something to discuss with Beachhead and Lady Jaye."

Lady Jaye looked at Beachhead, who didn't meet her glance. Despite her early stoicism, she was starting to get a little nervous. Luckily, Hawk didn't keep them waiting long. Once the jeep pulled away he signaled for them to take a walk. He then got right to the point. "What shouldn't be surprising is that General Howe's resignation has created quite the ripple in the leadership here. And what I feared is that instead of appointing someone who is most qualified for the vacant position, Howe's fellow generals would promote from within their boys' club. Have you heard of the Jugglers?"

Lady Jaye nodded, while Beachhead shook his head. "Long story short, they're a group of generals that have banded together to try and get the policies they support in place," Hawk explained. "That's not unusual in politics, but unfortunately they're a nefarious group that has only their own best interests at heart. I suspect, but have no proof, that they had a hand in General Howe's departure. He held a prime position at the Pentagon, and I know that the Jugglers were waiting a long time to get one of their own in his seat. Once I found out they succeeded, I knew I couldn't leave DC."

Lady Jaye guessed Hawk's subsequent action. "So you canceled your orders to transfer back to Joe HQ."

Hawk nodded. "The Jugglers weren't happy, as I have become quite the thorn in their side. I knew their first target was going to be the Joe team. Sure enough, over the weekend, they called an emergency meeting because they claimed there was a sudden cash flow problem. Since they now had a quorum, it was voted to cut the Joe team's payroll by a fairly significant amount.

"I couldn't stop that action, but I tried a different tactic. The money taken from the Joes is being diverted to the Pentagon, so I made a petition for and won a small increase in my personal budget. My plan is to take some of the talent that will be cut from the Joes and bring them to DC to work under me. Right now I only have enough funds to bring three Joes over, but I am hoping this is only the beginning."

Hawk looked at Beachhead. "Sergeant Sneeden, with a smaller Joe team, they will need a smaller leadership team. I'm afraid that being the current fourth in command, you will be a strong contender to be let go. So I'd like you to join me here. As added incentive, with the Rawhides continuing their training here you can petition to get your old job back."

Beachhead went quiet for a moment before he snapped to attention. "Sir, it would be an honor to join you."

Hawk smiled, returned the salute and then turned towards Lady Jaye. "Another area of the Joes that will take a hit will be the intelligence department. The Jugglers feel it's a waste of resources to have a separate intelligence department at Joe HQ when the work can be done at the Pentagon. Therefore, Sergeant Hart-Burnett, I would like for you to join me as well."

Lady Jaye was speechless as her mind tried to rapidly process the information. She quickly realized that this unexpected turn of events was the out she needed. Finally, after weeks of hoping for it, she was getting the chance to work under Hawk and the protection that he could provide. Her first instinct was to accept on the spot without divulging her secret. However, the soul-searching she had done the last few days convinced her that wasn't the correct course of action. She didn't like the idea of admitting her pregnancy in front of Beachhead as well, but she figured he would learn soon enough anyway.

"Sir, like Beachhead said it would be an honor to work with you. However, I need to be completely honest with you. I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" Beachhead roared.

Before she could respond, General Hawk told Beachhead to give the two of them some privacy. Beachhead walked off muttering to himself. Once he was out of earshot, Hawk turned to her. "I have to admit that I guessed that your personal situation would have an impact on your decision, but I am still surprised by the news. So am I to assume you'll be turning me down?"

"No, sir. In fact I would like to accept if you are still offering me the position."

Hawk looked surprised. "Are you sure? Don't you need to discuss it with…the father first?"

Lady Jaye frowned. Even though it appeared Hawk was continuing his standard procedure of turning a blind eye towards his troops' personal infractions, Lady Jaye was going to confront the issue head-on. "Yes, sir, I do plan on talking to him. As I'm sure you strongly suspect, Flint is the father, and we all know what the implications of that statement are. Therefore, we've kept my pregnancy quiet which is why Beachhead reacted as violently as he did. To be honest, we've been waiting for a miracle to come our way, and that is what your offer looks like."

Hawk didn't respond at first, and Lady Jaye's heart sank. "Sir, I can understand if based on what I just told you, you are reconsidering your offer."

Hawk sighed. "Lady Jaye, I've known you for years. And I know that you and Flint are very good about keeping your personal affairs separate from your professional duties, which is why I've always looked the other way. I can't condone whatever deceptive behavior you've engaged in, but since I never reprimanded the two of you for the affair I was well aware of while I was CO of the Joes, I'm not going to start now. So as far as I'm concerned, if General Bradshaw approves your transfer, and you resolve any personal issues that may interfere with your job here, the position is yours if you want it."

Lady Jaye took a minute to think. Hawk was right that she should discuss it with Flint before she made her final decision, but she still agreed with her initial assessment that this was the miracle they had been waiting for. She just needed to convince Flint of that fact.

Hawk's phone rang. "I need to take this. Spend a day or two talking to Flint and thinking things through. I have some time before I make my requests final, so get back to me by the end of the week."

Lady Jaye walked back to the Tomahawk. Lift-Ticket was inspecting the engine, and Beachhead was sitting alone in the back. "Ripcord and Gung-Ho still out on their errand?" she asked.

"Looks like it," Beachhead replied. "Are you really pregnant?" he bluntly asked.

Lady Jaye took a seat next to him. "Yes. That's not something I would just make up."

Every so often when Beachhead became extremely irate, he would lose the ability to form coherent sentences. That only infuriated him further, which led to a further breakdown of his English language skills. It was a comical sight, as he would blurt out what seemed like random words as he gestured wildly. A few Joes had made the mistake of laughing in those moments, and had learned a harsh lesson that Beachhead really did not like being laughed at. This was one of those times, but Lady Jaye didn't find anything comical about it. Instead she waited stone-faced for the scolding she was sure would come once Beachhead gained control of himself.

Instead, with a shake of his head, he stood up and exited the Tomahawk. Lady Jaye sighed. She didn't hold any hope that Beachhead's actions meant she had escaped his wrath. Instead it probably meant that he was so disgusted with her, he didn't even want to waste his breath. She debated what to do next. The easy answer was to continue to wait in the Tomahawk, and let him explode at her when he was ready. But she didn't want that to happen on the way back to base, or even worse after they landed. So she reluctantly chased after him.

She saw that he had only walked about a dozen yards away. "Beachhead, listen I'm sorry," she began but he waved her off.

"Save it. I'm not interested in an apology." Beachhead shook his head, and Lady Jaye braced herself for the string of curses she was sure was coming. Instead he exhaled sharply and said, "It's funny with all of the questions and comments I have, right now I'm just trying to work out this little soap opera in my head. While I know it's entirely possible that you ran out and had an affair after you and Faireborn called it quits, I find that hard to believe. So I'm going to guess it's Flint's kid?"

Lady Jaye just nodded her head, so Beachhead continued. "And again, while I consider him to be an ass, I do know how crazy he was, or I'm guessing still is about you. So I also find it hard to believe that he would take up with a new girl if he knew he was going to be a father. Unless, of course, you haven't told him either."

Lady Jaye had to hand it to Beachhead. He was much more astute than she ever had given him credit for. "No, he knows. And the whole story about his girlfriend is a lie. As was my alcoholism excuse. Those rough mornings I had wasn't because I was hungover, but because I was dealing with severe morning sickness."

Beachhead finally exploded with the cursing he had been holding back. Once he was done he took a step closer to her. "Have you given any thought at all to your or your child's well-being? Forcing yourself to do PT in your condition seems like a dangerous move."

"It wasn't. I had been checked out by my OB-Gyn and she had given me the all clear to continue in our standard exercise program." Lady Jaye purposely left out the caveats the doctor had suggested as she figured that would only further anger Beachhead.

"Fine. And did she also okay an international trip into a potential Cobra hotspot?"

Again, Lady Jaye decided to do an edited recap by leaving Lifeline's name out of the conversation. "Not explicitly, but I was cleared for all normal activities. The military code states that pregnant women can continue their field duties up until twenty weeks, and I am far from that."

Beachhead threw his head back and laughed. "I love the fact that you seem to pick and choose with parts of the military code you want to adhere to. I'm sure if you studied it a little harder I bet it would say that you aren't supposed to be anywhere near a combat zone."

"Unless I missed the firefight that broke out, I abided by that."

"Don't get cute. That fact is that there was still a chance that it could have happened. And I also believe the code is quite clear that your superior officers need to be informed of your pregnancy. What would have happened if Cobra did attack? I would have expected you to hold your own."

"Beachhead, I would have. I would never put the team at risk because of my personal situation."

"Which exactly proves my point. And say you took a shot which caused you to suffer a miscarriage or even worse. I would have had to go back to tell Faireborn that his future is now destroyed because of your idiotic actions." Beachhead paused and shook his head. "I know what that feels like, and I would never want anyone else to suffer that kind of pain."

Beachhead's admission struck hard at Lady Jaye. Not only because it was a rare moment when he would open up about anything personally related to him, but she knew Beachhead was right. If anything had happened to her or Junior, Flint would have been devastated. She tried to console herself that she only went on the mission because she knew the risks were minimal. "I wasn't being totally careless. I took myself off of the Springfield mission, because I thought that would be too dangerous."

Beachhead put his hand up. "Once again, I'm not interested. Save your explanations and apologies for your boyfriend."

Lady Jaye nodded. She would deal with him once she returned to base. In the meantime, she had to find out where she stood with Beachhead. "So what are you going to do once we get back? Report me?"

"What's the matter? You don't trust me enough to keep my mouth shut?"

Lady Jaye let out a bitter laugh. "Do you blame me? Ever since you joined the team you've been riding both of our asses. And then it only got worse once you found out we were a couple."

Beachhead scoffed. "Don't think you two are special, as I've been riding everyone's ass. The Joe team is supposed to be an elite group of individuals. My job was to make sure no one forgot that."

"And that's exactly why I didn't feel I could confide in you. Conceiving a baby with one of my CO's goes against your rules."

"I have news for you, sweetheart, that goes against everyone's rules. While I could write you up for gross misconduct, I'm not that much of a heartless bastard. You and the Glory Hound need to come clean to the general on your own. If you don't, that's your problem. I have my own I now need to deal with."

Lady Jaye let out a sigh of relief. "Beachhead, thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm trusting you to make the right call here. And while I may not be a tattle-tale, I won't cover for you either." Beachhead looked behind her. "Is it finally time to go?"

Lady Jaye turned and saw Lift-Ticket approaching them. "Yes. Gung-Ho and Ripcord are on their way back. We should be wheels up in ten minutes. If anyone needs the little boys' or girls' room, now's the time to do it."

Lady Jaye wondered how much of the conversation Lift-Ticket overheard, but he didn't give any indication that he had learned of her news. She realized even if he had, it didn't matter. Soon every Joe was going to find out about the existence of Junior.

* * *

Flint walked off the chopper after it landed at HQ. Out of force of habit, he scanned the airstrip looking for Lady Jaye. He wasn't surprised to see that she wasn't there to greet him, but he was disappointed to see she wasn't around to at least give him a subtle welcome home gesture.

Since it was only the middle of the morning, he figured he would find her in one of her usual places. While he knew he was not going to get a happy reunion moment this time, he still wanted to see her and find out how she was doing.

After a half hour search with no luck, he was starting to get concerned. A call to her cell phone only went right to her voicemail. He finally decided to go to his office to check the personnel logs. Duke was at his desk, and as Flint opened the log book Duke commented, "There's not much activity. With your return, only Beachhead's team is out in Scotland."

Flint nodded as he scanned down the list to find Lady Jaye's name. What he saw shocked him. "Lady Jaye went with them?"

Duke raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Flint ignored the question and asked one of his own. "Why the hell did she go?"

"Because that's her job. But a better question is why are you having such an issue with this?"

Flint stood with his hands on the desk and his head down, trying to calm himself down. Making a scene in front of Duke was not going to help their situation. But the idea of Lady Jaye risking the baby's life to go on the mission infuriated him. Through clenched teeth he asked. "When are they getting back?"

"They're actually on their way back now. They were scheduled to arrive in about an hour but they made a pit stop in DC, so they're going to be delayed another hour or two."

"Something wrong?"

"No, I don't think so. It came at the request of Hawk."

Flint nodded. It sounded like Lady Jaye was safe and everything was fine, but that still didn't erase his anger. She never should have been there in the first place.

Duke continued to stare at him. Flint hoped that instead of Duke calling him out for his outburst that the first sergeant would, as he had done the last few weeks, ignore his odd behavior. And he seemed to get his wish. "General Bradshaw is busy with a project, so he asked me to head your debriefing. What time did you schedule it?"

At first Flint was confused by the question but then he remembered that he too had just returned from a mission. He looked at his watch. "Shit, I forgot. In about five minutes."

It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he realized that it would actually provide a nice distraction while he was waiting for Lady Jaye's return. Duke and Flint met the rest of Flint's team in the conference room. After Flint kicked the meeting off, he went quiet as he once again was lost in his thoughts. Luckily, Roadblock seemed to be willing to pick up his slack and he summed up the mission.

Once Duke dismissed them, Flint went to his room. He tried to call Lady Jaye again, but she didn't answer. A fact he was actually grateful for. He did want to hear her voice and have a chance to hear for himself that she and the baby were fine. But he also wanted to save his full blown rant for when she returned and he could talk to her face to face.

A knock on the door interrupted him. He opened it and standing there was the man Flint had hoped to avoid for the rest of the day. "Come in," he said to Duke.

"You have a minute?" Duke asked.

Flint figured it was just a rhetorical question. "Sure, I was just getting ready to hop in the shower."

Duke took a seat on the couch. "I debated ignoring your unusual outburst earlier. It's what I've been doing these last few months, because I figured we all have secrets we're trying to keep from the rest of the Joes. But then I was afraid that I was going to have a real problem on my hands once Beachhead's team returned. So, even though I know I'm going to regret this, I decided I needed to take the bull by the horns and ask the question. What is really going on with you and Lady Jaye?"

It would have been an easy thing to continue the lie. An automatic response of denial even came into his head. But Flint had made the decision in the last few minutes that he was tired of the deception. Lady Jaye was going to be pissed as hell once she found out that he came clean, but with the way he currently felt about her and her actions he didn't really care. "She's pregnant."

The look of shock that ran across Duke's face was almost comical. But then it changed to one of anger. "What? Is it yours?"

"Of course it's mine. Would I be this mad about her behavior if it wasn't?"

"Actually I think you would. But that's beside the point. How could you be so stupid?"

Flint raised his hand. "Duke save your lecture. You can't possibly say anything to me that I haven't already scolded myself over."

Duke rose to his feet. "I highly doubt that. How long have you known about this?"

"She told me when we went to DC to do the budget report."

"That was, what, two months ago? How far along is she?"

"About four months."

Duke literally staggered and fell back down on the couch. "Four _months_?" he asked incredulously. "What is wrong with both of you? Is she even medically cleared for field work?"

"Technically, yes. She has been seen by both a civilian OB and Lifeline. But I thought we had come to an agreement that she wasn't going to go in the field. So now you know why I'm so upset that she went to Scotland."

"Jesus. I knew you both have idiotic tendencies, but I always thought you at least had some common sense. I guess I was wrong. How much longer were you going to hide this? And how? Was she planning on disappearing for six months?"

"No, of course not. Listen, Duke, I get why you're so upset about this. But you have to believe me that it was never our intention to purposely lie and deceive you. But because of General Bradshaw, we had no choice. We're planning on coming clean as soon as Hawk comes back."

Duke let out a spiteful laugh. "Buddy, you have obviously not been caught up to date with the happenings of the last few days. The generals' transfer orders were canceled. General Bradshaw isn't going anywhere."

For the second time that afternoon, Flint felt like his world was rocked. Putting his hands to his head, he staggered to the couch and sat down. "Shit, we are screwed."

"I'm afraid you are." Duke began to pace back and forth as he mumbled to himself. "I'd like to say I feel bad for you two, but I don't. This couldn't have come at a worst time. We also got word that the Joes' budget crisis returned with a vengeance. I'm going to guess that's the reason why Hawk diverted Beachhead's plane. I bet he wants to give him a face to face heads up about the changes headed our way."

Flint didn't have a response. He was too busy trying to wrap his mind around all of the new developments. Luckily, Duke seemed happy enough to continue his one sided tirade. "I don't know if I should pat myself on the back for suspecting that you ending your relationship with Lady Jaye was bullshit, or be annoyed at myself for not getting to the bottom of the deception sooner. Although I could use the excuse that since I had my own problems I really didn't want to delve too deeply into yours."

"And that's part of the reason why I didn't confide in you."

Duke saw right through the not quite true statement. "I really doubt my situation played any part in your actions. Although, it should have. You obviously haven't learned from my mistakes that dishonesty makes a bad situation much worse."

Duke stopped his pacing. He stared at a spot on the floor for several moments before he spoke again. "Many of the Joes think I like playing the hard ass, but that's not true. Maybe I too should have learned my lesson with Scarlett and stop trying to protect people from themselves. But once again, I can't. You two think you're doing what's best for the family you're creating, but you're not. I'm sure the stress that Lady Jaye is under is not good for either her of the baby. So, this deception ends now. I'm going to give you twenty four hours from the moment her boots hit the ground here at HQ to meet with General Bradshaw. If you don't I will personally write you two up myself."


	28. Chapter 28

Lady Jaye climbed out of the Tomahawk with a stretch and a yawn. Despite all of the thoughts that were running through her head, she ended up sleeping for most of the flight back. She woke up when Lift-Ticket announced they were descending on to the Joe base. She had been going with the assumption that Flint was going to be back on base when she returned, as his mission had only been scheduled to last a few days. That was confirmed once she caught sight of him standing on the edge of the tarmac. The look on his face told her all she needed to know about his thoughts on her heading off on her own mission. He glared at her as he approached, and turned his attention to Beachhead. "Welcome back. General Bradshaw is currently tied up, so your post mission brief will be postponed until tomorrow morning. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

Beachhead crossed his arms and addressed the Joes near him. "Put it to good use. I recommend catching up on the PT we missed. I'll be out on the course in an hour if anyone wants to join me."

As Beachhead walked away, Flint took a step closer to her. "We need to talk," he growled.

"Flint, I'm sorry. I know I probably scared you," she began but she was interrupted by Ripcord who came to her side.

"Is everything okay over here?" Ripcord asked as his eyes narrowed at Flint.

"This is none of your business, Weems"

Ripcord ignored him. He turned towards her. "Alison, are you okay?"

Flint visible tensed. "I already told you once that this doesn't concern you."

Lady Jaye stepped between the two men and faced Ripcord. "Thanks for the concern, Ripcord, but I'll be fine. Apparently, we just need to have a chat."

Ripcord still hesitated, and Lady Jaye again insisted she had everything under control. Ripcord, though, got face to face with Flint. "I'm giving you a short leash, but I'll be watching." After Ripcord walked away, Flint turned to her. "What's with calling you Alison? And why is he suddenly so concerned about your well-being?"

Lady Jaye couldn't admit to the heart to heart she had, not with Flint in his current frame of mind. But she was still not in the mood to deal with a jealous tirade so she let out a bitter laugh. "Are you kidding me? Do you really think that with everything I have going on right now, that I'm going to make my life even more complicated by starting an affair with Ripcord?"

"Considering that you have given no thought to my feelings in any of this, I really wouldn't put it pass you."

Lady Jaye shook her head. She willed herself to stay calm. She tried to tell herself that he had probably been worried sick about her and the baby, which had obviously upset him. But she was irritated by the fact that he once again jumped to the conclusion that she had been cheating on him. "I'm not doing this. I really don't have the energy to once again placate your ego. I have more important things to worry about."

"Like your after-mission report? Make it a good one, since it will be your last."

Lady Jaye recoiled. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm not, but Duke is. Once I returned to base and found out you went to Scotland, I quite frankly, flipped out. Duke finally asked me what my deal was with you and I told him the truth. To say he was pissed would be an understatement. He told me we have twenty-four hours to tell General Bradshaw or he will report us."

Lady Jaye ran her fingers through her hair as she uttered a series of curses in various languages. "He was really that mad? Do you think if I talk to him he will relax his stance at all?"

"I doubt it. He wasn't just doing it because we've been going against the code, but because he was truly worried about you and Junior. And I have to say I agree with him. After this stunt you pulled, I can't trust you."

"Excuse me?"

Flint shook his head. The anger he had clamped down on came back with a vengeance. "I was willing to go along with this charade as long as you abided by my one request to keep my baby safe," Flint roared.

"Keep your voice down," Lady Jaye said as she looked around the airfield. She was thankful that the Tomahawk's rotors were still running. There were Joes and Greenshirts milling about, but they didn't give any indication that they heard Flint's outburst. "And don't worry, your precious cargo is perfectly fine. There was no danger in this mission. We never even saw the first hint of a Cobra presence. I spent the whole time in the village, just hanging out and talking to the locals to find out if they had seen any of our reptile friends. The closest I got to Castle Destro was looking up at it from the pub down in the valley."

"I'm very happy to hear the mission was a cake walk. But you also didn't have to purposely put yourself in harm's way."

"That's the point, I didn't. I could have gone with you to Springfield, but I evaluated the risk and saw that was too dangerous. Believe me, if I felt there was even the slightest risk in Scotland, I wouldn't have gone there either. I'm not a complete idiot that's endangering my child. And I find it totally offensive that you think you are more capable of running my life than I am, or that you even have that right."

"That baby growing in your belly gives me the right."

She stared at him for a minute and then called him a very unflattering term in Gaelic. "Okay, I tried. I know you were worried about us, so I cut you some slack. But if you truly believe that sexist bullshit, then this conversation is over."

She turned to storm back to the base, but Flint grabbed her to stop her. "Alison, stop. Please, I'm sorry. This got way out of control. You're right, I was worried about you. And then I had my unpleasant chat with Duke and also learned that General Bradshaw is staying. I feel like our lives are spiraling out of control and I don't have a way to stop it."

Lady Jaye pulled her arm out of his grasp. She was still fuming over his earlier comments but she forced herself to calm down. "I may have the answer," she said at the same time the Tomahawk's rotors shut down. She realized that their conversation could now be overheard, so she motioned for Flint to follow her to the side of one of the hangars not currently in use.

Once she was sure they were again in relative privacy Lady Jaye continued. She briefly as possible summed up the ripple effects of General Howe's resignation and what it meant for both the Joe team and her career. She ended with Hawk's offer.

Flint's face fell. "You can't seriously be considering it."

Lady Jaye sighed. "I don't think I have a choice. I couldn't accept without telling Hawk the truth. So I told him about the baby. He was surprised, but he didn't renege his offer. He was on board as long as my transfer request was approved."

"And how do you plan on pulling that off?"

"Well, that's easy, as I'm still not going to tell General Bradshaw about the baby."

Flint shook his head. "No, I'm not lying anymore."

Lady Jaye wished that she could rub her hand down his arm or make some other kind of physical contact. "Dash, I know this has been hard. But remember, no matter what kind of façade we have or will continue to put up, the truth of the matter is you are this child's father, and nothing is going to change that."

"That's why I don't want you moving across the country. I don't want our family separated."

"I know the long distance is going to be hard, but DC is only a plane ride away. And we still don't know what is coming down this road. This job might only be temporary, or maybe you can transfer to DC as well."

Flint dropped his gaze. He spent a few moments in thought. "Alison, have you considered the logistics of this? The frat regs still apply even if we're not stationed together. Hawk may be okay with it, but what about the other generals at the Pentagon? And what excuse do I use with General Bradshaw to get the time off to go to DC on a regular basis?"

"Your mythical girlfriend relocated?" Lady Jaye offered.

Flint stared at her a moment and then scoffed. "This isn't funny."

"I didn't mean for it to be." Lady Jaye sighed. "Dash, I don't have all the answers. But I don't know what else to do. I thought I was ready to face the consequences, but the talk with Hawk changed my mind."

For the first time during their argument, Flint's face softened. He rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Duke gave us until tomorrow to tell General Bradshaw the truth. How about we meet at the apartment in a couple of hours and talk again. Hopefully, we can figure out a rational plan of attack."

* * *

Flint returned to his office with every intention of completing his paperwork as quickly as possible, but he couldn't focus. His phone rang and General Bradshaw summoned him to the surveillance room. Flint was so distracted with his thoughts that he didn't stop to consider what the general might want. So he was shocked when he walked in and saw General Bradshaw sitting in front of a paused image of what looked like the conversation he just had with Lady Jaye.

"The generals in DC are funny," General Bradshaw began. "They tell us we are in a budget crisis, but then they insist that we need to upgrade our security system. They claim it's to make us safer, but personally, I believe someone got suckered in by a salesman's pitch. They told me that these new cameras were light years better than our current system, and that they could pick up video and audio so much more clearly. I didn't believe the hype, but I follow orders that are given to me. So I told Breaker and his crew to install the new cameras.

"I'm going to guess that you didn't read the memo I sent out about the upgrade," General Bradshaw continued. He picked up the remote. "But after seeing this I could see why you might be sidetracked with your personal issues. I have to admit, whoever that salesman was, he was right. These cameras can pick up every word of a conversation that is hundreds of feet away." The general pressed play and with his heart pounding in his chest, Flint watched the playback of Lady Jaye declaring that he was her child's father.

Despite all of the time he spent thinking about this nightmare scenario coming true, he was speechless and unable to defend himself. The general continued. "I've had to reprimand many men during my career. Most have claimed ignorance for the law, which always bothered me. But what always really got to me were the ones that clearly knew they were breaking the rules, but didn't care." He fast forwarded a few frames and proceeded to play Flint's comment about how the rules still applied even if she transferred.

General Bradshaw put down the remote and then picked up his phone. "Sergeant, it's General Bradshaw. I need to see you in my office now." He hung up. "Let's go," he ordered Flint.

The two walked into the hall, and Flint finally found his ability to speak. "General, sir, please leave her out of this. I want to take full responsibility for our actions."

The general stopped. "First of all, you have no right to make any kind of requests. Secondly, unless you are going to admit that she was the victim of a sexual assault, I know damn well that she too is responsible for her actions."

Flint remained quiet during the rest of the walk. They beat Lady Jaye there by only a few seconds. When she walked through the door and saw him already there, the realization of what was going on was written on her face.

She quickly composed herself and then opened her mouth to speak, but General Bradshaw cut her off. "Sergeant Hart-Burnett, I have a few questions for you. It has come to my attention that you are pregnant, is that correct?"

Lady Jaye paused, and Flint was concerned that she might try to deny the accusation. But instead she sighed and said, "Yes, sir."

"Is it also correct that Warrant Officer Faireborn is the father of your unborn child?"

Lady Jaye turned to look at him. With a frown, he just nodded. She faced back towards General Bradshaw. "Yes, sir."

"How long has this illicit relationship been going on?"

This time Flint answered. "A couple of years."

The general exhaled sharply. "Then based on Article 134 of the UCMJ, I am officially placing you both on immediate suspension. A formal investigation into this matter will occur. I'm giving you one hour to collect any critical belongings from this base. Do not return until I call you back in for my final decision. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, that will not occur until Monday at the earliest. Faireborn, you are dismissed. I want to talk to the Sergeant alone."

Flint stood but he still hesitated. "Sir?"

"Did I not make myself clear? You are dismissed."

Flint glanced over at Lady Jaye. He still didn't want to leave her alone, but he knew he had no choice.

Lady Jaye watched Flint leave. Once the door closed she turned her attention back to the general. "Sir, if I may ask, how did you find out?"

General Bradshaw held his head in his hands as he stared down at his desk. He either didn't hear her question or chose to ignore it. Lady Jaye sat there for a few more uncomfortably silent moments. The general looked up, grabbed a pen and finally asked a question of his own. "How long have you been pregnant?"

"Four months, sir."

The general made a notation but kept his face impassive. "When did you learn of your condition?"

Lady Jaye briefly wondered if she should fudge the dates, but she decided to remain truthful. She was sure that continuing to lie now would only harm her case. "About a month and a half ago."

General Bradshaw shook his head slightly as he continued to write. "Has Warrant Officer Faireborn in any way coerced you in starting or continuing this relationship?"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "No, sir. Everything we've done has been by mutual agreement."

"And has that continued after you learned of your pregnancy? Has he ever threatened you in any way regarding the pregnancy?"

The question startled Lady Jaye. "No sir, of course not. Flint would never hurt me or the baby."

"Sergeant, I'm not asking for a character reference. Unfortunately, these are the types of questions I need to ask when a situation like this arises."

Luckily, though, the interrogation came to an end. General Bradshaw remained quiet as he finished his notations. Once he was done, he looked up at her. "Sergeant, you are dismissed."

Lady Jaye rose from the chair. She debated whether she should make some kind of final plea. But she didn't know what to say. Plus she realized the general probably wouldn't want to hear it anyway. She walked out into the hallway where she found a nervous Flint waiting for her. He made a move towards her, but then he stopped himself. "What happened in there?"

"Not much. He just asked me a series of questions. I was vague but I told the truth. I thought lying would make things worse."

"I agree."

Lady Jaye looked at the closed general's door. She knew the general was going to hold fast to his hour deadline. In that time she needed to at the very least talk to Falcon and Chuckles. If, as she feared, her career was over, she needed to make sure that the intelligence department wouldn't suffer for her mistakes. But before that she had to ask the question that was bothering her. "Dash, did you tell him?"

Flint bristled at the question. "No. I would never go behind your back. Thanks to an upgrade to the security cameras, he was able to watch and listen to the whole conversation we had out on the tarmac."

"Damn it." Lady Jaye said, although she wasn't surprised. She had feared that the security cameras would lead to their downfall. She cursed herself at her stupidity.

"I'm sorry. I know we have a lot to talk about, but he only gave us an hour to wrap things up here. I need to talk to Duke and Beachhead."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Beachhead knows about the baby."

Flint looked surprised. "Okay. That actually makes this easier, so thanks for the heads up. I'll see you back at the apartment." Lady Jaye turned to leave, but Flint reached for her arm. "Alison, things are going to be okay. Whatever happens, we will work it out together."

Lady Jaye wanted to believe that. But unfortunately, she did not share Flint's optimism.


	29. Chapter 29

Flint took one last look around his room. He was fairly confident he packed enough stuff for the week. The good news was that with as much time as he had been spending at the apartment, there was enough there for him to get by in case he forgot something.

He closed the door behind him, and walked towards Duke's office. He probably should have reversed the actions, but he was afraid that if General Bradshaw held firm to his deadline, he wanted to have his bag packed in case he was thrown off base. Plus he hoped the time would give him a chance to figure out what exactly he was going to say to Duke.

However, he hadn't been very successful. Every time he tried to think about how to wrap things up with Duke, his mind wandered off to Lady Jaye and how best to console her. What he needed to do with Duke was important, but at the moment, she was Flint's top priority. He took a breath to clear his head before he knocked on the First Sergeant's door and entered his office.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to pay me a visit," Duke said without looking up from the file in front of him. "General Bradshaw called in the leadership staff to give us the CliffsNotes version of your suspension. Once we were dismissed, Beachhead walked with me back to my office. He didn't stay long as he had some things he needed to take care of. But he surprised me. He wasn't nearly as worked up as I thought he would be."

Flint could say the same thing about Duke. Apparently the First Sergeant had calmed down quite a bit from their earlier encounter. "Jaye said she told him the truth while they were on the mission, so it probably helped having advance notice. Plus, you know how persuasive she can be when she puts her mind to it."

Duke shook his head. "And I guess that's what led to your downfall?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Flint took a seat in front of Duke's desk. "Con, you and I go back a long way. I always wondered if it was because of you that I ended up here with the Joes."

"When Hawk asked for recs for guys to join the team, I did throw out your name as well as Roadblock's and a couple of other guys from our unit. But it was your record and performance in the field that got you selected."

Flint nodded. "That's what I suspected. It's very belated, but I do want to say thank you for the opportunity."

Duke scoffed. "You have a hell of a way of showing your thanks. I don't think it's possible that you could have fucked up this situation any more than you did."

Flint sighed. "What do you want me to say? You know as well as I do that love makes you stupid."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Flint knew it was the worst thing he could say. Duke closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," he began but was cut off.

"Of course you didn't mean to," Duke spat out. "From the beginning you have never given any thought to anything other than what you wanted. I remember the moment you met Lady Jaye, and how I could see in your eyes that you had to have her. I had the thought to explicitly forbid you in pursuing any kind of relationship with her. But I knew that by doing that I would only force you into her arms. So I hoped that you would sleep with her a couple of times, get bored and then move on. At worst case I figured that I would have to deal with a sexual harassment case. But I had no idea that I would actually have a Romeo and Juliet situation on my hands. I realized that when we took our trip to Greenland. Not only did I notice that you were looking at her with what was obviously more than lust, but she was looking at you the same way."

Flint let Duke's words sink in a moment before he spoke again. Everything he said was the truth. "That's why this spiraled so far out of control. She did catch my interest right from the start, but I never expected our love to deepen as much as it did. And now she's going to be the mother of my child." A small smile shone on his face. "This is nowhere near how I hoped or expected this to play out. But I have to admit, I am relieved that the truth is now out in the open. Ever since I found out Alison was pregnant, I wanted to revel in my impending fatherhood, and the fact that I couldn't almost drove me crazy. I know the most likely outcome of this is that I lose my job. And I am worried about what comes after. But then I think about the fact that my son or daughter is going to be born next year, and that puts everything in perspective."

Duke leaned back in his chair. "While I am happy that you've made peace with all this, I can't help but think about how this affects the Joe team. I agree with you. The military code is pretty clear cut, and as the higher ranking one in the affair, I too think that you're looking at a discharge. So where does that leave the Joe team? In the span of one day, I have lost my number two and three guys."

Flint startled. "What? Where's Beachhead going?"

"DC. Hawk put him in for a transfer to the Pentagon."

"Okay, that's bad but not the end of the world. Don't forget, you still have Falcon."

"Believe me, I haven't. I'm not the only one who has noticed that he has grown by leaps and bounds. But he still has a long way to go before he gets close to filling either one of your shoes."

Flint nodded. "There's always the chance that if I am fired, they will cancel Beachhead's orders. Maybe that's the real reason why he's taken this in stride. He had been gunning for my job for years, and now he has a golden opportunity to take it."

Duke stared at him a moment and then shook his head. "Or the more likely scenario is that since the Joe team's leadership is now decimated, the Jugglers now have a perfect excuse to disband the rest of the team."

"I don't believe that. Hawk would never let that happen."

Duke slammed his hands on to the desk and stood up. "Flint, I find it commendable that you have such faith in General Abernathy. But you do realize he is one man fighting an uphill battle? And that you haven't done him any favors by this stunt you pulled? In addition, he now also has to find a replacement for Lady Jaye on his team. I assume you heard that he asked Lady Jaye as well."

"Yes. That led to the conversation the general overheard." Flint let out a long exhale. "And that's actually why I'm here to talk to you. As you pointed out, the proper course of action is that I receive a discharge. But General Bradshaw could take it a step further and also discipline her. I'm willing to accept my fate, but I want to make a plea to save hers."

Duke put up his hand. "Flint, save your breath. You should be telling this to General Bradshaw, not me."

"I can't. He made it quite clear that he doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. I do hope, though, over the course of the next few days that he talks to you. Jaye and I know we did wrong, but our records should speak for ourselves. It may not be enough to save my job, but it might be enough to save hers. I didn't realize it at first, but this opportunity in DC is a good one for her. She'll have a desk job doing what she loves, without having to go into the field leaving the baby behind. The problem is that I know General Bradshaw hasn't been her biggest fan, so I hope that doesn't cloud his judgment. I don't want him punishing her just out of spite."

"I can't promise you anything as I'm not even sure if he's going to want my opinion on the matter. But if he asks, I'm going to tell him the truth. That despite this massive lapse of judgment, you both are two of the finest soldiers I have ever worked with."

Flint smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you." He looked at his watch. The deadline had come and gone, so he knew his time was up. "I better go, before I bring more trouble upon myself."

Duke stood. "I'll walk you out." The two left his office and Duke asked. "So what are you going to do while you wait?"

Flint hadn't thought that far ahead. But as soon as the question was asked he knew the answer. "I want to go home. I haven't seen my parents in a long time, and I can't wait to tell them about their future grandchild."

"That sounds nice. I know no matter what happens, you're going to need your family to rely on." Duke stopped walking. "The one thing that got lost in everything that happened today, is that I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on the baby. Despite everything, I am happy for you and Lady Jaye."

Flint felt a lump rising in his throat. He couldn't speak so instead he patted Duke on the back and then brought him in for a bear hug. Flint was excited for his future. He just wished he didn't have to lose the past to get it.

* * *

Lady Jaye pulled up to her standard parking spot and noticed that she had beaten Flint home. She wasn't surprised as her turnover went a lot faster than she expected. Falcon had been called into General Bradshaw's office for what she assumed was an emergency meeting to deal with their bombshell. So she met with Chuckles alone, who didn't say much once she told him what was going on. So she had gotten right down to business and spent about ten minutes going over the open leads. Once she was fairly certain he was caught up to speed, she left.

She unlocked the front door and collapsed on to the couch. She glanced at the time, and realized that due to their very early departure from Scotland, she had been on the go for nearly twenty four hours. Thanks to the naps she had taken on both legs of the flight home, she wasn't overly tired. But as she laid her hand on her abdomen, she figured the activity and the stress of the day was probably not good for Junior.

She stretched out on the couch. She knew sleep wasn't going to come as her mind was racing through too many thoughts. But she wanted to lie down and enjoy the few minutes of quiet before Flint came home. She felt an odd sensation deep within her. She remembered reading in her books what the baby's first kicks would feel like and she had a suspicion that was what she was experiencing. But it was so faint she couldn't know for sure.

She began to think about everything and nothing at the same time. She entered into the state of mind where she wasn't quite asleep, but she also wasn't really awake. So that when the front door opened, she startled enough that she jumped up from the couch.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Flint asked.

He looked awful. His face was a combination of stress and sadness, and Lady Jaye was sure she looked the same. "No, I was just," she trailed off. She was such a mess she couldn't even complete a sentence. And then she was hit with such a wave of emotion that she let out a loud sob.

Flint was at her side within seconds. He engulfed her in a hug and as she relaxed against his chest she let herself go. All of the pent up emotions and feelings of the last few months came out in a long, therapeutic cry. As she slowly gained control of herself, she realized by the way that his chest was heaving, that Flint too had joined her in her emotional release. She realized that his talk with Duke must have been excruciating. While she felt better, she still didn't have the energy to ask him about it. Instead, she relied on their tried and true method for stress relief.

She pulled back enough to grab his hand and lead him to the bedroom. She briefly wondered if he might rebuff her advances, but the opposite was true. He responded enthusiastically as it became obvious he also needed a physical release. Once it was over, they quietly laid in each other's arms for several minutes.

Both the cry and the sex helped instill a sense of peace over Lady Jaye. However, she still didn't have the desire to tackle the deeper issues facing them at the moment. Instead of trying to figure out a long-term plan, she was more concerned about figuring out a short-term one. "I assume we don't want to spend the week counting down the minutes to General Bradshaw's decision so what do you want to do?"

Flint turned to face her. "I've actually given this some thought. Thanksgiving is Thursday, so how about we fly to Kansas to spend it with my family?"

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. If they were going to be forced into a week off, they should take advantage of it and spend time, especially with the coming holiday, with family. But Lady Jaye couldn't help but think of the first and last time she had visited Flint's parents. It had been their first Christmas together, and Flint wanted to take her home to meet his parents. They had been together for nearly a year at that point, and she had been thrilled that he was ready to take such a big step in their relationship.

So she had easily agreed to the trip. But she could tell right from the start it wasn't going to go well. Flint had explained, as they flew to the local air force base, that this was going to be a surprise for his parents. He had half expected to have his leave request canceled by an untimely attack from Cobra, so he never told his family that he was coming. Lady Jaye pointed out that while they were sure to be thrilled to see him, she wondered if they would feel the same about his special guest.

It turned out she was right. The two had walked up to his parent's house, he had rung the bell, and once the door opened he was engulfed in bear hugs from both his mother and father. They were so excited to see him that it took a couple of minutes for them to realize she was standing there as well. She had watched the reunion with a large smile on her face as she watched Flint get showered with the love and affection. She had been so happy for him that she was willing to overlook the less than pleased greeting she received from his mother. But what had finally wiped the smile off her face was Flint introducing her not as his girlfriend but as one of his buddies from the team.

To say the rest of the day had been tense was an understatement. She quickly realized the reason for Flint's odd introduction as it became clear that he had never informed his parents that he was in a relationship. Which she called him on as soon as the two of them were alone later that night.

"Your buddy?" She hissed as she closed his bedroom door behind her. "That's how you decide to introduce me to your parents? That term was cute a year ago, when we were trying to figure out where we stood with each other, but I think that I've earned something more by now."

Flint looked sheepish. "You have, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to belittle what we have. I just really haven't been in close contact with my parents lately, so I never told them I was in a relationship. I didn't want to just blurt it out tonight, but I planned on telling them before our vacation was over."

Lady Jaye had been less than impressed with his lame explanation. She remembered taking great satisfaction in storming out of his room as she told him she was taking up his mother's offer to sleep in his sister's old room.

She figured in order to appease her, Flint informed his parents the next morning that she was in fact his girlfriend. However, it was such an awkward moment, that she only ended up more annoyed with him. She remembered forcing herself to endure the scene as long as politeness called for, but once his mother made a lame excuse about needing to leave the house, she too escaped to Flint's sister's room. She had just made the decision to look into taking a cab to the airport to book a flight back to HQ when Flint knocked on the door. He had looked miserable so she had reluctantly let him in.

He nodded towards the suitcase lying on the bed. "Are you leaving?"

"I think so. It's pretty obvious that no one wants me here."

Flint cringed. "That's not true, and I'm really sorry if I made you think that."

"Dash, it's fine. It really is. I've never been good with the family thing, so it's better for all of us if I head back."

"Okay. If you feel that strongly. But you're not going alone, I'm coming with you."

"You can't do that. You'll break your mother's heart. I mean it, that I'll be okay. The Joes are doing a Christmas dinner, so I'll still have people to celebrate with. So stay, enjoy the holiday with your family and we'll talk when you get back. I think the couple of days apart will be good for us."

"Damn it, no! It's our first Christmas together, and I want to spend it with you. I had hoped that this would be a chance for us to prove that we can be a normal couple away from the Joe base, but I messed it up right from the start."

Lady Jaye had to bite down on a smile that started to form. He was right that he had made a mess of things. But since he was beating himself up enough, she didn't have the heart to add to his misery. And in that moment she realized that she loved him enough to overlook his mistakes, to try and overcome her awkwardness around his family to give him the holiday he wanted.

She went to him and rubbed at his arms. "How about we try to forget everything that's happened up to now and start this vacation over?" Her sacrifice was worth it when she saw how his face lit up at the suggestion.

The rest of their holiday did improve slightly, as his parents tried to be cordial and polite to her, and include her in the family activities. But Lady Jaye had still felt uncomfortable and out of place. It was made worse when she tried to hang out with Flint's mother, sister and sister-in-law during the Christmas Eve dinner preparation. Their conversations proved that she had little in common with the rest of the women in Flint's life. So she was definitely not disappointed when they received a phone call from Duke early Christmas morning that their leave was canceled due to a thwarted attack on HQ from Cobra.

Flint interrupted her walk down memory lane. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just reminiscing about the last time and what a disaster that was."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are we talking about the same Christmas trip?"

"Yes, the one where we left right after dinner Christmas Eve, to go into town early for midnight mass. Remember, we walked around the downtown area, and the shops were all lit up? And how it started to snow a little while we watched the children's chorus sing Christmas carols before mass started?"

Lady Jaye had to admit she had forgotten about that part. She had been so wrapped up in reminiscing about what a nightmare his family had been, that she forgot about that special moment, and how nice it really was.

"Okay, we can sit here and discuss the good and bad moments of that trip, but regardless, you saw how they reacted when you surprised them with a girlfriend. How do you think they're going to take the news that the girlfriend is knocked up and may have cost you your job?"

"Well first of all, I hope to be a little more eloquent, and a little less forthcoming. Why worry them about our tenuous positions on the Joe team before we know for sure what General Bradshaw will decide. Regardless, I think they're going to be thrilled with another grandchild, and with you," he added.

Lady Jaye doubted the last part of his statement. But she reluctantly agreed to go. She had a brief glimmer of hope that they wouldn't be able to pull off a last minute trip due to the slim pickings of airline seats left, but Flint was able to find a flight for the following morning that got them into Kansas at a reasonable time.

It meant though that they were going to need to pack and be ready to go to the airport in less than twelve hours time. But, all the events of the day meant her mind was still wired trying to process it all. So the packing was a nice distraction and helped settle her mind down. By the time she was finished, her exhaustion kicked in and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

The next morning came quickly, and Lady Jaye woke up in a zombie like state. She was quiet during the ride to the airport as she was still tired, and didn't have the energy to do much but dwell on her myriad of thoughts. Flint looked at her with concern. "After you passed out last night, I realized how long of a day you had. And I'm afraid this trip isn't helping. Do you think you're overdoing it?"

It echoed her concerns from the previous night, but she knew that if she said yes, Flint would without hesitation, cancel the trip. But now that she had resigned herself to spending the holiday with his family, she was, in a way, looking forward to it. She definitely did not want to spend the week holed up in the apartment while hashing over the various scenarios of their future with or without the Joes. So even if Flint's family made her crazy at least she could focus her energy on them, and not General Bradshaw's pending decision. "Dash, I'm okay. I'm tired, but it's more mental than physical. I'll use the next couple of days to catch up on my sleep."

On the plane ride over, Flint reassured her that this time he gave his parents the heads up that he was heading home with Lady Jaye, and that they were thrilled to see both of them. But that still didn't make her feel any better. Based on the conversations Flint had with his mother over the previous few years, Lady Jaye guessed that she had never warmed up to her, so she doubted his mother was happy she was coming. She knew that Marie Faireborn's first impression formed that Christmas break had fully imprinted on her. And Lady Jaye was pretty sure that their news was not going to make his mother any happier.

But Flint was optimistic. He gave her a pep talk on how he thought the holiday weekend would go. His mom said that even though the whole family was gathering for a Thanksgiving dinner later on in the week, they were going to have a more intimate dinner with just the immediate family that night. Flint figured that would be a perfect time to tell them all about the baby. Lady Jaye was afraid that there was going to be no perfect time.

They landed without issue, and shortly after they collected their bags, Flint's father met them at the airport exit. He hugged them both, and led them to car. The trip to the house went quickly as they made small talk.

Flint's plan was derailed from the moment they stepped foot through the door. Mrs. Faireborn greeted her son with a huge hug and tears. Lady Jaye was greeted with a noticeably colder hug and a forced smile. Marie then informed them that Flint's sister, Diana and her family were not coming to dinner due to her oldest child's bout of strep throat.

Before she had even finished telling the story, Flint's father's emergency beeper went off. There was a situation in town, and he needed to report to his fire station. As he raced out the door he told them to go ahead with their dinner plans.

Flint's brother David arrived a few minutes later. He apologized for his wife and kids no-show but due to a karate lesson and soccer practice, they were otherwise engaged. Marie began to mumble about the large amount of food she had made as she invited the much smaller than expected crowd to the dining room table. David looked in the refrigerator and offered beers to Flint and Lady Jaye. As Lady Jaye turned him down in favor of a glass of water, she noticed that Flint accepted his eagerly. She realized that he wasn't as confident as he let on.

Lady Jaye wondered if Flint was still going to make his announcement. But as the dinner went on and he stuck to safe topics of conversation, she knew that he was going to hold off. Once she realized she had been given the pass for the night, she relaxed and actually began to enjoy the dinner.

"So do you think you finally defeated Cobra for good?" David asked after Flint and Lady Jaye finished relating the short unclassified version of their battle in the Himalayas.

"I don't think I can ever say for sure that they are gone for good," Lady Jaye answered. "I know for a fact that their leadership was decimated in the Himalayas, but they still have several high ranking members that could start something on their own." She stopped her answer mid-speech. With everything that had happened upon her return she realized that she never asked Flint how his mission with the Twins went. She made a mental to note to ask him once they were alone. "We've been keeping an eye on them, and so far they seem to be behaving, but I still don't trust them."

Marie stood up and began to clear the dishes. "I'm going to continue to pray that Cobra is truly gone. Dashiell, whenever I see GI Joe on the news, I get so worried for you, and your teammates," she added with a small smile towards Lady Jaye.

David turned towards Lady Jaye. "Weren't you featured on an episode of Twenty Questions a few months ago?"

Lady Jaye nodded. "I think I was actually in a couple of episodes, but the only one I got to watch was the episode featuring the Ghost aircraft."

David snapped his fingers. "That was the one I saw. It was awesome when you guys tricked Cobra into showing their hand."

"That went better than we expected," Lady Jaye admitted. "It's a perfect example of how the media only shows you a fraction of what happens. There was so much going on behind the scenes. For instance, Dash was leading a rescue mission to save the two pilots from the Ghost that was shot down." Lady Jaye smiled at Flint. She wondered if he still held unpleasant feelings towards her old friend, Ron. "That's where the real heroism comes to play, but TQ only mentioned that part briefly in a follow up episode weeks later."

"I have to admit, I'm glad I don't see everything," Marie said. "I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is. Especially since you'll let weeks pass by without a call to tell me that you're okay."

Flint looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, mom."

Lady Jaye stood to help Flint's mother bring in the dishes. She entered the kitchen and asked if she wanted help washing the dishes. "No, no, dear, or course not. You're a guest here. It sounds like you could use a few days off, so please sit back and enjoy yourself."

Lady Jaye nodded and walked out of the kitchen. As she entered the dining room, she felt another fluttering in her stomach. This time it was strong enough that she was convinced she was finally feeling the baby moving around. Her hand went to her stomach. Which, of course, was an action that caught Flint's attention.

"You feeling okay?" he asked with a kiss once she sat down at the table.

With David sitting next to Flint, she didn't want to share her discovery. "I'm fine. Just really full."

"So, little brother," David said. He patted Flint on the back. "Do you want to head out for a drink? Show your girl the beautiful downtown Manhattan Kansas district?"

"What do you think?" Flint asked.

"It sounds fun," Lady Jaye answered with a fake smile. It actually sounded anything but. However, it beat the alternative of hanging out alone with his mother. But she quickly learned she had a more desirable third option.

"Oh good! You're going to go out?" Marie said as she looked at her watch. "I was going to pass on my bridge club tonight, but since you have plans, maybe I'll still go."

"Go, mom, have a good time. I can babysit these two," David said.

Lady Jaye excused herself to their bedroom, and as she expected Flint followed behind moments later. "Dash, I'm going to pass on tonight."

"Why? Are you all right? I saw you holding your stomach earlier."

Lady Jaye smiled as she looked down. "That's because I'm pretty sure I felt Junior moving around."

"Really? What does that feel like?"

"Actually, like a really bad case of butterflies in your stomach. It's almost ticklish."

Flint put his hand on her abdomen. "I'm going to tell David we'll take a rain check."

"No, don't do that. I know you want to go catch up with him, so you go ahead."

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"As much fun as it sounds sipping water while watching you two knock back the beers as you talk about the good old days, I'd rather stay here. I just want to go to bed early."

Flint gave her a long kiss. "Okay, I'll see you later."

"And, Dash, feel free to wake me up when you get back. I'd like to do some catching up with you myself."

* * *

When David dropped Flint off a couple of hours later, he had every intention of following through with Lady Jaye's request. It had been a nice day, followed by a fun night out with his brother. He was glad he had made the decision to come home. While his stress hadn't completely disappeared, reconnecting with his family had restored a sense of sanity to his chaotic life. He hoped the same could be said for Lady Jaye.

The house was dark and quiet, so he tiptoed up the stairs. He had a flashback to his teenage years, and many middle of the night return trips after he had snuck out of the house. Most of the times were to meet with his buddies for secret drinking and smoking parties, but he remembered one extra special time when he returned after a very successful meeting with one of the cheerleaders from his class.

He remembered he had been slightly buzzed, and so giddy with excitement that he thought for sure that would be the night that his parents busted him for his late night antics. But they had slept soundly as usual, and he was able to get to his room with them being none the wiser.

Even though that occasion was more than a dozen years in the past, he couldn't help but feel like he was right back to being that teenager. He was again slightly buzzed and lightheaded from a cigar, and keeping a secret from his parents.

He had come clean to David on the way to the bar. While he had come up with several plausible reasons to explain why Lady Jaye had bailed on the night, Flint settled for the truth. David was thrilled for them, but had laughed when Flint further confessed he was afraid to tell their parents.

"Why?" David asked. He flagged down the bartender and ordered them two drinks. "You know they're going to love the idea of another grandchild."

"I know. I guess I'm just afraid they're going to be disappointed since we're not married yet."

David laughed. "Okay, first off, haven't you learned by now that you are their pride and joy, and nothing you do could disappoint them? And secondly, you're not coming home with a one night stand that you impregnated. You've been with Alison for years. Do you love her? And are you happy with this news?"

Flint grinned. "Yes, very much, to both questions."

"See that's all they want – just for you to be happy with the life you are making for yourself."

Flint took a sip of his drink. "I still think mom, and maybe even dad, might be hung up on the marriage thing. Which will happen. I had been planning to propose for weeks before I found out about the baby. I just never found the right time. And then when she told me she was pregnant, I didn't want her to think I was just having a knee-jerk reaction. But I am going to ask her. Maybe by Christmas time."

David laughed again. "Dash, you're afraid to ask your pregnant girlfriend that you've been seeing for years to marry you. And you're afraid to tell your parents about the pregnant girlfriend. Please tell me you show a little bit more bravery when you're leading your squad of GI Joes?"

Flint laughed. "It's hard to believe, but I do. It's really only with Alison when I feel like I've lost all control."

David patted him on the back. "Yep, that's love."

Flint reached the door to his old bedroom, and quietly went in. He stripped out of his clothes and climbed into bed. He went to wrap his arms around Lady Jaye, but she turned to face him. "Did you have a nice night out?"

"I did," he answered and kissed her long and deep.

"It must have been a very nice night out. You smoked too?" she asked.

"Sorry," he admitted. "Just one. David insisted since it was a congratulatory cigar."

"I'm going to guess you told him?"

"I did. I didn't want to make a lame excuse for your absence, and I figured he would be a good test run for tomorrow."

"So, it went okay?"

Flint grinned again. "He was thrilled for us. And he tried to calm my nerves about telling my parents."

"Ha!" Lady Jaye replied. "So you are afraid to tell them. Is that because you think they're going to be upset with your choice in the mother of their grandchild?"

"No, of course not! Why would you think that? My parents were very nice to you today."

"They were," Lady Jaye admitted. "I just think it's easy to tolerate your son's girlfriend for a holiday visit, but it'll be a lot harder for them once they learn I'm going to be a more permanent part of your life."

Flint knew she had a point. "That may be true, but don't take it personally. As my brother so kindly pointed out, I will always be their baby so they would have an issue with anyone I brought home. Plus, they barely even know you, which is my fault. As my mother said, I haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with them over the last few years."

"Well, we have been a little busy."

"I know, but I'd like to make an effort to stay in closer contact with them."

Lady Jaye rested her hand on her stomach. "This little guy is going to give us a good reason to."

Flint kissed where her hand lay. "So any more movement from him?"

"A little bit."

Flint continued to kiss her stomach. Even though he had gotten used to the fact that Lady Jaye was pregnant, he still at times was amazed that their child was actually growing inside of her. He wondered if once she began to more actively show, if it would make the idea easier to comprehend. Lady Jaye had said that she had noticed a difference in how her clothes fit, but Flint could barely tell. As he began to move his kisses up her body, he reached the area that he had noticed a change.

"This okay?" he asked as he kissed her nipple. She had been sensitive the last few weeks. She groaned in response so he took that as an affirmative.


	31. Chapter 31

The next morning Lady Jaye woke up at an hour that most people would consider to be early, but was late for her. She got up to go to the bathroom, and when she returned Flint was awake and getting dressed. She was a little disappointed, as she would have liked to enjoy a leisurely morning in bed, but as she heard the sounds of activity downstairs, she knew they should go join the rest of his family.

While they ate breakfast, Flint's father told them about the fire call he had gone on the previous night. That led to a conversation about some of Flint's former classmates. It continued until Marie glanced over at the clock and suddenly jumped up out of her chair. "Oh my goodness, is it really that late? I have to get to the supermarket! It's going to be packed today."

"Hey, mom, Al and I will go for you. Just give us a list."

"That would help me out a lot. But are you sure?"

After Flint insisted that they had no other plans, and were happy to go, Marie smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "You're such a good boy." Lady Jaye once again couldn't help but grin at the domesticated side of Flint.

They headed into town later that morning, and as Marie had predicted, the stores were full of Thanksgiving Eve shoppers. But they were able to pick up what they needed. He also grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne for their post announcement toast.

On the way back to the house, about a mile out of town, Lady Jaye noticed a sharp change in Flint's demeanor. She had worked alongside him enough to go on instant alert. She looked out the front window, half expecting to see a Cobra army in the distance.

"What's wrong?" Lady Jaye asked.

"I don't like the look of those clouds," he said.

Lady Jaye again looked out the front window. And what she saw forming in the sky terrified her. A funnel cloud was coming down from the clouds to the ground below. It looked to be only a few hundred yards down the road and coming towards them.

Flint somehow remained calm. He brought the car to a stop on the shoulder, and told her to get out of the car. Once outside, Lady Jaye too tried to remain calm. But as the winds picked up, and the noise increased she found herself starting to panic. "What do we do?"

"Find shelter," he commanded. He then pointed to what looked like an open field. "There, run!"

Flint put his hand on Lady Jaye's back and pushed her forward. "Where are we going?" Lady Jaye asked. The roar of the tornado drowned out her question. But she followed him and ran as fast as she could. Out of nowhere, a ditch next to the highway appeared. He pushed her into it, and covered her with his body.

As she lay there in the ditch while the tornado approached, she realized all of the eyewitness accounts about a tornado sounding like a freight train were only half accurate. Because it actually sounded like a freight train that was roaring above while lying on the tracks underneath it. She then heard bangs and thumps and knew debris was flying around and landing on the ground near them. One sounded particularly close, and Flint then gasped and shuddered in pain. He must have been hit by something. She tried to ask him if he was okay, but the noise drowned out her question. But she could feel him breathing on top of her, so she prayed that he wasn't hurt too bad.

As quickly as it came, the tornado dissipated. Lady Jaye took a few moments to bask in the ability to hear again. "Are you okay?" Flint asked as he got up off of her. His left arm grabbed at his right shoulder.

"I'm fine, but how about you?" she asked. She went to him and moved his hand away to take a look at his injury.

"I got hit by something. A piece of siding, I think. But I'll be okay."

His gash was bleeding, and she didn't like the look of it. "I bet you're going to need stitches. We should probably get you to the hospital."

Flint nodded. "I agree. And you can get checked out too."

Lady Jaye insisted she was fine, which as usual, fell on deaf ears. "I pushed you down pretty hard, I just want to make sure everything is okay."

Lady Jaye knew it was useless to argue. They walked back to the car that was miraculously, still upright. Flint's arm was still bleeding, so Lady Jaye used their newly purchased paper towels to helm staunch the blood flow. Despite his protests, she insisted that she drive. She only made it a short way down the road when they saw the destruction the tornado had caused. There were a few houses set back off the side of the road that had taken a hit. Her training kicked in.

"Oh God, Dash. Look what it did!" She pulled over. "Stay here. I'm going to see if anyone needs help."

He ignored her, which she found ironic considering how often he had been nagging her about her health. But she put that aside to deal with the situation on the ground. What she found surprised her. Despite all the debris strewn around, there wasn't one injured person. Most people had found shelter, and had seemed to take the tornado in stride. After they checked out the last house in the path of the twister, they walked back to the car. Lady Jaye made the comment that she couldn't believe the lack of serious injuries or casualties.

He shrugged. "It's Kansas. We're used to tornadoes and know how to deal with them." He grimaced as he got back in the car, so she continued to the hospital. On the way, Flint called his parents to tell them about their tornado encounter. He insisted they were both fine, but told them they needed to go to the hospital so he could be stitched up. He then suggested they come by to switch cars so his mother could get her groceries.

Once they arrived at Manhattan General Hospital, Flint explained to the admitting nurse that they had gotten caught out in a ditch while a tornado passed overhead, and based on her nonplussed reaction that wasn't an odd occurrence. He showed her his arm, and also pointed out that Lady Jaye was pregnant. They were both taken to one of the triage rooms.

A few minutes later Flint's parents arrived. Marie made a fuss over Flint's arm, but was thankful it wasn't much worse. A few moments after they arrived, the ER doctor walked in. She looked at Flint's gash and announced that he was going to need stitches. She said she would return to do it, and that she also put in a call to the on-duty OB-Gyn.

"OB?" Marie asked. "Why do you need an OB?"

Lady Jaye looked at Flint, who began to stutter out an answer. "Mom, Dad, this isn't the way I planned on telling you, but Alison is pregnant. You're going to have another grandson or granddaughter in April."

The curtained off area became deathly quiet. And then Marie burst into sobs and ran from the room.

"You might need to admit her too," Lady Jaye said jokingly.

Nate looked from Lady Jaye to Flint. "You're going to be a dad?" he asked.

Flint nodded, and his father pulled him into a bear hug. "Son, I'm so happy for you. For you both." He let go of Flint to give Lady Jaye a hug too.

Flint hopped down from the table. "Dad, I appreciate it. However, I think I might need to have a talk with mom."

Lady Jaye put a hand on his good shoulder to stop him. "Dash, no. You need to get stitched up first." She was going to offer to go after his mother herself, but she had a feeling that would only make things worse.

"Alison is right. Stay here and get the help you need. Dash, don't worry about your mother, I'll take care of her. And once you get back to the house we'll all talk about this."

Lady Jaye was going to make another sarcastic comment about the family drama, but the Obstetrician walked in shortly after Flint's father left. He introduced himself as Doctor Patel and asked for the reason for their visit. Lady Jaye explained that she was eighteen weeks along, and had gotten caught in the path of the tornado. Even though she was feeling fine, they both felt that she should still get checked out.

Dr. Patel nodded. "I don't blame you. I'm sure everything is fine, but I'm going to order an ultrasound to confirm."

It then became a slow race as to which doctor would return first. Lady Jaye kept trying to make small talk, but based on Flint's non responses, she knew he was worried about his parents. It made the wait even more unbearable. At one point he rubbed at his shoulder and began to grumble about the doctor's inattentiveness.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Lady Jaye asked. "I can ask the nurse for some painkillers if you need them."

"No, I'm fine. I don't even care about my arm. Where the hell is your doctor with his ultrasound?" Flint barked out.

Lady Jaye realized it wasn't just his parents Flint was worrying about. "Dash, I'm sure everything is okay."

Flint sighed loudly. "I'd just like confirmation of that. And for me to get stitched up so we can go home and deal with my parents. And once that's over with, we can fly back to HQ and deal with General Bradshaw."

They had spent the last two days avoiding all talk of the potential fall-out of the general's discovery of their secret. Lady Jaye knew that at some point before the end of the week, they would need to discuss the various potential outcomes. She had thought about broaching the topic a couple of times, but Flint had seemed so happy, that she had hated to bring it up. Lady Jaye had had been wondering if his good cheer was true, or just an act for her benefit. Based on his outburst, she was leaning towards the latter. But unfortunately, he had valid concerns, so it was her turn to put on a brave face. She walked over to him and hugged him.

"Dash, it's all going to be all right. Give your mom some time, I'm sure the news was a shock to her, but she'll come around. General Bradshaw is the wild card in all this, but no matter what he decides we'll figure out how to make it work. The two most important things to me right now is that I love you and I love this little boy or girl. And speaking of the sex of our baby, I was thinking that the doctor might be able to tell us what it is."

That last part perked Flint up. "Really? Already?"

"I'm almost eighteen weeks. Everything I've read said from twenty weeks on you should be able to tell, but it's not unusual to find out earlier. So maybe we'll get lucky and see definitive evidence."

Flint grinned. "Well, if he's anything like his father, we'll definitely be able to see conclusive evidence."

Flint's doctor entered a short time later. And as luck would have it, as she was wrapping up the stitching, Lady Jaye's Doctor Patel returned with the ultrasound equipment. He apologized for the delay, saying that they had needed the equipment for a woman who had arrived in the ER in the midst of contractions.

Flint got off the table, so Lady Jaye could get on. Soon, she was laying down watching the monitor. As opposed to the last time, she was able to recognize her baby. "Wow. Junior's changed so much."

"Fetal development is an amazing thing to witness. So, my initial view is that all looks healthy. Let's take a couple of measurements." Once he confirmed the age, size and heartbeat he checked to make sure the uterus was unharmed. "All looks good," Doctor Patel said. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Lady Jaye squeezed Flint's hand, who finally looked a lot less tense. "Doctor, do you think you can tell what it is?"

He looked back at the screen. "I have a pretty good guess, but since it is still early, that is all it is. I wouldn't want to get your hopes up one way or the other, so I'd rather not say. Do you have another ultrasound scheduled with your regular doctor?"

Lady Jaye nodded. "I do, next month."

"I think by then they should be able to know. Take care."

"Doctor, wait, before you go. Is it possible to print out a couple of photos? I'd like to show my parents photos of their grandson, I mean grandchild."

Lady Jaye smiled. She interpreted the doctor's cryptic message the opposite way, since it seemed to coincide with the instinct she had regarding the sex of her child. She had a flash back to the creepy Scottish woman, and shuddered. Luckily, Flint was distracted by the printing of the photos, and didn't notice her sudden change of mood. She forced herself to forget about the ominous warning about her future. Once Doctor Patel left, "Dash, I may be totally wrong about this, but I think you're actually holding photos of your daughter."

"No, you heard what the doctor said. He saw something, but it was still too early to confirm."

"Or, the more likely scenario is that he didn't see something, which could be for a variety of reasons. In a couple of weeks, when the baby is bigger if they still don't see something that would confirm his theory, that Junior is, in fact, a girl."

Flint huffed. "Believe what you want, but when we get back to the house, I am going to show you the family tree my mother made. That will prove the Faireborn tendency to male heirs."

Lady Jaye grinned. She found the idea that his mother had the kind of free time to put together an actual family tree a bit disturbing, but she kept quiet. She was just happy that Flint seemed back to his old self.

However, once they returned to the house, she could see that Flint was starting to tense up again. It didn't help his mood once they found out that instead of staying home to talk about their news, his mother had insisted on going out to purchase additional items for the Thanksgiving dinner.

Flint's father asked him to go with him on an errand. At first Lady Jaye was concerned about Flint doing too much with his bad shoulder, but she quickly realized it was just his father's attempt to get him alone to do what she assumed was male bonding. So Lady Jaye sent Flint on his way with the excuse that she wanted to lay down for a while.

Instead, she took a seat on one of their lawn chairs on their patio behind the house. The earlier storms had passed, and it was a warm day for November in Kansas. She wanted to enjoy the fresh air. A short time later she heard the screen door open, and out walked Flint's mother, carrying a pitcher of iced tea.

"It's freshly made. And caffeine free."

"Thank you. This is perfect," Lady Jaye said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Marie broke the ice. "A mother is supposed to love all her kids equally. And it's true in a way. I have a special bond with all three of mine. David, the firstborn, will always hold that special place because he is what turned me into a mom. And Diana, my only girl, we'll always have a mother-daughter bond. But, Dashiell, is my baby. I will never admit it to, but I've always had something even more special with him than I did with the older two.

"I know they teased him, David especially, about being an accident. I'm sure they thought that because he's so much younger than Diana. But it's not true. Believe me, we tried very hard and it took us years to conceive him. I don't know why it was so easy with David and Diana and so hard with him. Sometimes I think God waited until he formed the most perfect baby to send to us."

Despite the sweet sentiment, Lady Jaye had to refrain from rolling her eyes. She now realized why Flint had an ego problem at times.

"He was so different from the other two. So much more adventurous. I was surprised when he followed the family tradition by attending K State, but I realized he was only using it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. We were so proud when we learned he earned the Rhodes Scholarship although it broke my heart that he would leave for overseas. I almost vetoed it, using the easy excuse that it was too expensive to take the trips out to see him, but luckily for him, his father was much less selfish.

"And then we weren't surprised when he said he was joining the Army. But again, it broke my heart. I was spoiled. I had David and Diana living within a fifteen mile radius, both happy with growing families of their own. I had friends that only saw their grandkids twice a year, and I was seeing mine twice a week at least. But I still missed my baby boy with all my heart.

"When you came to visit all those years ago, and I saw how deeply in love with you he was, I knew I had lost him forever. I kept hoping that his Army career was just a phase, and one day he was going to quit and move back home where he belonged. But I realized he had two things that he loved more than his mother."

She reached out and put a hand on Lady Jaye's stomach. "And now he has three."

Lady Jaye smiled. "Do you want to see the ultrasound photos?"

"I'd like that."

Lady Jaye returned a few moments later and handed the photos to Marie who smiled as she looked at both pictures. "Do you know what it is yet?"

"No. The doctor said it was too early to tell. Dash is convinced it's a boy because of the Faireborn tendency to produce male offspring. But I think it's a girl."

Marie laughed. "He's right that the Faireborns do have a higher percentage of boys in the family, but I hope your instinct is correct. This will be my sixth grandchild, but first girl. So what about your family? Have you had a chance to tell them yet?"

"I don't have anyone to tell. I'm an only child, and my parents were killed in a skiing accident when I was a teenager."

Marie gasped. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry."

Lady Jaye debated how much of her "tragic" past to get into. But she was afraid that would give Marie the impression that she was just a spoiled rich girl. Instead she said simply. "Thank you. Both of my parents were only children themselves, which is why they gave me a hyphenated last name. I think the plan was to have a son or two to carry on the name for both families. But that never happened. I had assumed that fertility problems ran in my family, but it looks like I bucked that trend."

Marie just smiled uncomfortably so Lady Jaye continued summing up her history. She ended her story with, "The Joes became my surrogate family. And, of course, in Dash's case, my actual family."

Marie walked over and pulled her out of her chair to give her a hug. "I don't know what kind of plans you two have regarding marriage, and it's really none of my business. But whatever you decide, I want you to know that our family is your family. And I'm not just saying that because of the baby."

Lady Jaye doubted the veracity of the statement, but she appreciated it anyway. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

They heard a car pull up. Marie smiled. "I guess the boys are back. Before they come back here, I have a question for you. What is Dashiell like on the Joe team?"

Lady Jaye laughed. "Wow. That's a hard question to answer quickly. What do you mean?"

"I just have a hard time picturing my son who had always been more of an academic mind being happy with military life."

"Mrs. Faireborn, I can ensure you that he is very happy with the Joes. Sure, there have been frustrating moments over the years, but for the most part he loves his job. As for why that is, you know that we all have code names, right?"

Marie nodded. "He kept his nickname Flint. And you're Lady Jane?"

"Jaye," she corrected and Marie gave her a questioning look. "It's a long story, but the point is, code names were established to protect out identities. However I think it also helped some of us form new identities. We've seen and experienced some crazy things over the years, and I think in order to process it all and keep moving on, we've had to form work personas that are separate from our personal ones. So you're right that Flint is a totally different person from Dashiell, just like Lady Jaye is from Alison. I don't know if I can explain exactly how that is, except to say that Dash is the guy that likes to spend his lunch hour reading yet another novel, while Flint is the guy who would jump out of a moving vehicle to single handedly pummel a Cobra agent that is threatening the world. And he's very happy with both versions of himself."

Marie smiled. "That's all I want to hear. Not the getting into fistfights with terrorists part, but that he's happy."

The two then walked inside. "We're making some hors d'oeuvres, since we missed lunch," Flint explained.

"Ooh, that sounds good. I'm starving," Lady Jaye said.

Marie gasped. "Why didn't you say something? I would have made you a sandwich."

"No, it's okay. I actually didn't realize I was until Dash mentioned missing lunch."

Flint walked over and put his arm around her. He whispered into her ear. "Everything good? You and mom seemed like you were in a pretty serious discussion."

Lady Jaye looked over at Marie, who was distracted with pulling out plates for their impromptu meal. "It is. We had a really nice talk. How about you with your father?"

"It too was nice. There was one point that was a little uncomfortable when he made the passing comment that he should have done a better job of teaching me about the birds and the bees, but for the most part it was good."


	32. Chapter 32

General Bradshaw walked out onto his back deck. It was a particularly cold evening, and he wished he grabbed something warmer than just the fleece he had put on. The Arizona desert had definitely lowered his tolerance for the cooler East Coast temperatures. He thought about going back inside to look for his coat, but he was afraid that Eileen or one of the boys was going to demand his attention.

Instead, he rubbed his arms, and lit one of the cigarettes from the pack he had bought as he was leaving Dulles. He knew Eileen was going to have a fit if she caught him, but based on the dirty looks she had been given him ever since he arrived home, he was going to be on the receiving end of an angry tirade whether he was caught smoking or not.

Arthur knew his wife was angry and disappointed in the cancellation of his transfer orders back home. He tried to tell himself that her feelings were valid as it was frustrating having plans change at the last minute. But she had been an Army wife for nearly fifteen years and he wished she had gotten used to the fact that the military was fickle and that they had no control over their destiny.

To take his mind off of his personal problems, he instead focused on the professional issues that he had been dwelling on the previous forty-eight hours. While he still became angry, he wasn't nearly as enraged as when he first learned of the lies and deception that Flint and Lady Jaye had been engaged in. At first, talking to some of their teammates and hearing praise upon praise heaped on them, infuriated him. It was clear they were two elite soldiers, so not only should they have known better, but the fact that they didn't care about the professional ramifications disappointed him.

When he left Phoenix, he figured his mind was made up. Both were going to suffer the highest consequences he could bestow on them. He knew that was going to leave the Joe team extremely short-handed in the leadership department. However, the military code was pretty clear-cut when it came to the fraternization policy.

But then he had met with General Abernathy shortly after he had landed in DC. The general had been extremely candid. He admitted that he had known about the affair, and had made the conscious decision to silently condone it. He explained that he had never held any of the Joes to a hard and fast upholding of the military code. The team was made up of elite soldiers that were fighting for their lives against Cobra. In exchange, General Abernathy felt that they deserved a more liberal policy that gave them the chance to decompress from their encounters.

The talk helped explain the team's resistance to the new leadership. General Bradshaw knew that he had acquired quite a few unflattering nicknames in the last few weeks. He had even debated going with the code name of "Hard-Ass" to acknowledge the team's thoughts. So he realized, as he left General Abernathy's office, that he couldn't punish Flint and Lady Jaye for actions that had happened under the previous general's leadership.

Which meant he was basically back to square one. He was glad that he had decided to bring home the files of notes, fit-reps and other documentation he had accumulated the last couple of days. He now needed to focus on their actions of the last few weeks to figure out his decision.

The screen door opened and his wife walked out. "Art, you're not going to spend this whole holiday weekend brooding, are you?"

He almost responded with a question of his own on whether she was going to spend the whole weekend mad at him. But he had learned over the years that the best way to keep marital harmony was to keep comments like that to himself. Instead he answered, "I'm not brooding. A particularly ugly situation came up earlier this week that I need to make a decision on before I return Sunday night. So I've just been doing some serious thinking today."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

General Bradshaw sighed. "I wish I could, but I'm not allowed to go into detail."

Eileen nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you to your thoughts." She made her way back to the door but then she stopped. "It's probably no secret that I am really unhappy about your orders. But I'll get over it, and so will the boys. Since I know that you will be spending a lot less time at home, the only thing I ask is that when you are here, you give us as much of your full attention as you can."

Once again Arthur had to stifle a comment as he immediately went on the defensive. But he quickly realized that his wife was correct. Deciding Flint and Lady Jaye's fate was important, but it shouldn't ruin the holiday weekend with his family. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I promise that when I come back inside, you'll have my undivided attention for the rest of the weekend."

Eileen smiled. She walked back over and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Brian wants to show you the new game he got. He's going to bed in about an hour, so don't spend too much longer out here."

"I won't," he replied. He watched her walk back into the house. Despite his earlier thoughts to the contrary, he realized yet again that he was lucky to have such a patient, understanding and loving wife. Military wives complaining about their husbands being away from home too often was the norm. Based on conversations he had over the years with fellow soldiers, he knew other women complained because most of the time they had to do the lion's share of running a household. On the other hand, his wife became upset because she truly cared about the dynamic of their family. It pained her to see the boys missing their father. From the moment that Derrick came into their lives, she had put him and his younger brother first in all aspects of her life.

He then thought about Flint and Lady Jaye. He didn't need the file he brought home to review their actions of the last two months, as he had them practically memorized. He nodded as his course of action became clear to him. He was going to keep the promise he made to his wife, and not spend any more time dwelling on the situation. Once he was back at Joe HQ on Sunday night, he'll review everything one final time. But he knew in his heart, his decision was made.

That night Flint lay awake with his thoughts while Lady Jaye slept. Which was an idea he found ironic. Since he now realized that his parents had hit them with a divide and conquer strategy, based on their reactions in the hospital he would have assumed that Lady Jaye would have had the harder time with his mother. But it seemed like the opposite was true. It could be that Lady Jaye had also received a browbeating from his mother, but he found that unlikely. If she had been disturbed by any part of their conversation, he would have heard about it. Because the one thing that could be said about Lady Jaye is that she never had a problem expressing her displeasure.

Not that he was one to keep his feelings bottled up either, but this was one case where he didn't want to rant and rave to her, and he was happy that she had seemed satisfied with his earlier, not quite true, quick summary of the conversation with his father. The part about the birds and the bees had been true. In fact that was how his father kicked off the conversation as they drove into town. But then his father quickly switched to a much more serious tone. "So, what's your plan?"

Flint laughed at the question. Right now the only plan he had was flying back to Arizona at the end of the holiday weekend. But what happened after that, he had had no idea. His father didn't take kindly to his response.

"This isn't funny. You're bringing a child into this world. You can't just wing parenthood."

"Dad, I know. Lately, I've done nothing but make plans. And then come up with new ones once those fell apart. I've been trying to get my life back on track ever since my world was rocked a few months ago."

"Alison's news hit you that hard?"

"No, it wasn't that. Sure, I was shocked. And it took me a little while to come to grips with the idea, but once I did I knew without a doubt it was not only good news, but what I wanted. I'm so excited to have this baby with her. What threw my life for a loop was the changing of generals on base."

His father nodded. "Dealing with a new boss can be hard, and it may seem like your life is in turmoil, but I'm sure whatever kinks there are will work themselves out."

Flint sighed. "Dad, it's worse than that. I can deal with learning to live with a new general and having to get used to a new working environment. I can even handle rule changes, except in the case when I've been breaking one that wasn't enforced until the new guy showed up." Flint paused. He really hadn't planned on telling his family about his current suspension, but he opened that can of worms. "Dad, I know you're not very familiar with military policies, but one I'm sure you do know about is their fraternization policy. I'm one of Alison's commanding officers, and it's against the military code for me to have a personal relationship with her."

His father exhaled sharply. They had pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center. "I've wondered about that. I was going to ask you about it, but I assumed you knew what you were doing. Okay, so you said this has been going on for months. Why is it dragging on? Are you involved in a court martial?"

"No, at least not yet. We tried to be low-key at first, to keep our distance while we got the read on General Bradshaw. But then she found out she was pregnant, and we knew we couldn't keep up the ruse for long. She was willing to take the fall and keep quiet about the baby's paternity, but I couldn't let her do that."

"Son, I wouldn't pat yourself too hard on your back. Stepping up to the plate and claiming your child is the least you should be doing in this situation. Unless, you're questioning whether that's true."

His father was a man that he loved and respected, but that didn't stop Flint from considering socking him one. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "She's not like that and I find it offensive that you would even suggest the idea."

Flint's father put his hands up. "I'm sorry, but son, someone needs to ask you the hard questions, since it's clear you haven't. Okay, so you find yourself in an illegal romance that has left your girlfriend pregnant and you now have a new boss that's going to bust you on it. Does your general know about it now, or are you still sneaking around?"

Flint sighed. He was still embarrassed by how it played out. "No, he found out earlier in the week. Alison and I got into a heated argument that General Bradshaw ended up overhearing. He placed us both on immediate suspension until he decides on a more permanent action. We should know by Monday what he's going to do."

"What do you think he will do?"

Flint exhaled sharply. He had tried to keep a positive attitude going for Lady Jaye, but whenever he had a few minutes alone he couldn't help but think about the various outcomes. "Most likely, I think he's going to throw the book at us. I'm sure I'm looking at a discharge, and probably Alison as well. But maybe we get lucky. What is a given is that we won't be able to work together anymore. So what I hope happens is that he at least lets her transfer. A few days ago she was offered an opportunity to work with our former general in DC at the Pentagon. She's an intelligence agent, and working at the Pentagon gives her a chance to continue her career in a fairly safe and stable environment. It'll still be challenging work, but it's a desk job where she'll get to go home at night to be with the baby."

"And you?"

"If the worst happens, then I'll relocate to Washington, where there will be enough opportunities to figure out what I want to do next. But deep down, even though I know it's a pipe dream, I hope he lets me stay with the Joes."

"So you're saying that the best case scenario is that you get to stay in Arizona while she lives in DC with your child? Is that really how you hope this plays out?"

"No, it's far from the best case. But it's the only way that we can keep a semblance of what our current jobs are."

Flint's father shook his head. "It seems like everyone is getting a raw deal in this, especially the baby. In this scenario, how often do you think you're going to see your child? Once or twice a month? Do you really want your son or daughter growing up saying his or her father is some random man that pops in every now and then? And what about Alison? How long do you think this relationship can last if you're never around?"

"Dad, now you're being dramatic. This is a fact of life in the army. There are thousands of families going through similar scenarios, and they're making it work. I knew this life was in store for me when I decided to pursue a military career. I'm not saying this is how it's going to be for the rest of our lives. That is, again, if General Bradshaw even allows any of this to happen. This could all be a moot point."

"Dash, I know it seems like it, but I'm really not trying to bust your balls on this. I'm just trying to get you to realize from now on you can't make decisions based only on what you want. You have to consider what's going to be best for Alison and the baby from now on. I know your career is important to you, but your family should be even more so. And speaking of that, what about marriage? Or are you just going to send her off to DC as an unwed mother to be?"

Flint was really growing tired of the conversation. He had faced less grueling interrogations at Cobra's hands. "Yes, we're going to get married. I'm just waiting for the right time to make it official."

His father laughed. "Dashiell, in this case you may be overthinking things. Stop waiting for the perfect time, as it may never come."

His father then mercifully dropped the line of questions. But it hadn't stopped Flint from continuing to dwell on the conversation the rest of the day.

"Dash, are you okay?" Lady Jaye asked quietly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"No it's fine." She adjusted herself so she was lying nestled up against his chest. "I realize this is a very loaded question right now, but what's bothering you?"

He grunted. "I'm just rehashing the conversation with my father."

She rubbed at his chest. "I knew it didn't go as well as you said. I thought you were very quiet tonight."

"I was?" he thought he had done a better job of hiding his thoughts.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Flint sat up. "No. I think I just need to take a walk and clear my head."

Lady Jaye looked at the clock. "Now? Can I come with you, or do you need to be alone?"

Flint almost answered that he wanted to be alone. But in reality, he didn't. "Come with me," he said. He threw on pants and a sweatshirt, and grabbed the comforter off of his bed. He then took a hold of her hand and led her down the stairs and out into the backyard.

She gasped as she looked up. "No matter how many times I see the stars like that, I still am amazed of that view."

He too looked up. "I know you see the same thing in Arizona, but it never seemed the same to me. I swear the air smells different, and the sky looks different."

"I can see that," she said.

He laid the blanket down in the shadow of their garage. He knew from past experience that they were completely hidden from the house. Not that he expected either of his parents to be up and staring into the backyard at this hour, but he still wanted the extra privacy.

They both lay down, and he pulled her into his arms. "Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine. So, do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

He rolled over so he lay on top of her. He made sure to brace himself so he wasn't putting his full weight on her. "No. I really don't want to talk right now."

He began to kiss her. He was so turned on, but he kept himself in check. He wanted to build up slowly, and extend the foreplay, before he made slow, and hopefully long love to her. When it was over, he knew he succeeded by the fact that the only word she could speak was 'wow'. Once she regained her composure she again settled herself against his chest. "So now do you want to talk?"

He smiled and kissed her head. "I think I'm good. This was a much better way of venting my problems."

They lay there quietly for a few minutes. His comment was correct, and he felt a lot more relaxed than he did before they came outside. His father's words faded from his mind, and he settled down enough that he began to doze off.

Until Lady Jaye asked him a question. He startled awake and asked her to repeat herself. She leaned over to kiss him. "I'm sorry, did you fall asleep?"

"Nah, I was just resting comfortably."

She chuckled and then said. "It's no big deal. I just wanted to know what happened on your mission to spy on the Twins."

It was funny that the mission had only ended a few days prior, but it seemed like it had been a lifetime ago. "Officially, not much. The Twins were there, but by all appearances they were operating completely by the books. We followed the general's plan. Roadblock and I paid them a couple of visits to their offices, and Chuckles checked out what was going on behind the scenes while Low-Light kept a birds-eye view on things. Xamot and Tomax weren't remotely surprised to see us, and they even took Roadblock and I on a tour of their new facilities.

"I suspected that they were putting on a dog and pony show for our benefit, but neither Low-Light nor Chuckles was able to find anything out of the ordinary. So in the report that I never did finish, I made the recommendation that we keep an eye on them."

Lady Jaye nodded. "So do you think we'll be around to follow up on it?"

Flint went quiet. He knew at some point they were going to have to address the proverbial elephant in the room. And even though it was an off hour and location to have the conversation, it seemed to be the perfect time. "Honestly, I doubt I will be there. But I think you have a good chance."

Lady Jaye let out a laugh. "That's funny. Because I've become convinced that my career is over, while you have a shot at keeping yours."

Flint pulled her closer. "Not if he decides to follow the code. The higher ranking officer should be the only one disciplined."

"Technically, that only applies to criminal charges, which I hope is something the general is not seriously considering."

"I really don't believe he'll go that far. He'd need to have proof that I put other Joe lives in jeopardy, and that never happened. I'm sure though, he's lost confidence in my leadership, which is why I don't think I'm holding on to my job."

"Same here. With the way he feels about me I also don't hold out a lot of hope for my chances." Lady Jaye exhaled sharply as she nestled in closer to his chest. "And I had gotten excited about the Pentagon job."

Flint gave her a squeeze. "Like I said, don't automatically assume the worst. Before I left, I asked Duke to try to convince the general to let you transfer."

Lady Jaye rolled over to face him. "You did? But I didn't think you wanted me to move."

"I don't. Not unless I can come with you. As I said, the most likely scenario is that I get slapped with a discharge. If he does that, there is no reason to penalize you as well, so he okays the transfer. I bet by this time next week we'll be looking at housing listings in DC."

Lady Jaye remained quiet. In the dark Flint couldn't make out the features of her face, so he couldn't get a read on her feelings. She stayed silent a few moments more and then she spoke. "And will you really be okay with that? You'll be giving up a lot."

"Maybe, but I'll be getting so much more in return." Flint kissed her. "I'm not going to lie and say I won't miss the Joe team, but I had a good run and I can find another job. Back in Oxford, I had other dreams other than the military. I wanted to teach or to write. I've been thinking a lot about that. Imagine the memoirs I could write based on our adventures the last few years. As long as I come home to you and Junior every night, I know I will be happy."

Even with the darkness, Flint didn't miss Lady Jaye's grin. She leaned over and kissed him long and hard. Flint thought back to the earlier conversation with his father, and his old man was right about one thing. Flint was being an idiot. Once the finished the kiss, he abruptly stood up and told her to wait for him to return.

Lady Jaye was shocked by Flint's sudden departure. She wondered what the pressing need was that made him leave so abruptly. But as the seconds ticked by she began to think more about what Flint had predicted about their future. While it was a much happier version of what she had assumed would happen, she still wasn't convinced it was a plausible outcome. But, maybe she was wrong and he was right, and they would be able to live in something resembling a happy ever after.

She shifted on the grass to stare up at the stars again. She thought back to the night of General Bradshaw's arrival when Flint had warned her that they were going to need to keep their distance. She had been so naïve then to think that they could pull off a deception without repercussions. At first, their relationship had nearly ended due to her frustrations with the situation. But then she had found out about Junior. If she was honest with herself that had definitely influenced her decision to try and save their relationship. The idea of becoming a mother terrified her at times, but she was thankful that she had Flint to go through it with her. She knew that the two of them could take on anything that came their way.

Lady Jaye heard footsteps approaching, but it took a moment before she recognized Flint's form. "So where did you run off too?"

He ignored her question. Instead he knelt on the blanket and helped her up to a sitting position. He then cleared his throat. "Alison," he began but then stopped. He sighed, looked down and then shifted his position so that he was resting on one knee.

It was enough to clue Lady Jaye into what was happening. She had to bite down on the grin that started to form. Flint started and stopped talking a couple more times before he let out a curse. "Unbelievable. I can give a speech to motivate troops, or to summarize our actions in the field. I could probably stand in front of a lecture hall and wax poetic on the greatest lines Shakespeare had ever written. But now, when I'm trying to find the right words to say, on something I know I've practiced many times, I can't figure it out."

Lady Jaye leaned over and kissed him. "If you're going to ask me the question I think you're going to ask, you know the answer is yes."

Flint laughed and shook his head. "I know. But you don't understand the kind of pressure a man in this situation is under. Over the years I've heard stories from my brother and buddies on how they proposed. They all planned out perfect scenarios, which is what I wanted to do. I imagined being on a beach at sunset, or in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and I would quote an appropriate sonnet that would express my feelings for you."

Lady Jaye smiled as she kissed his cheek. "Dash, it's not about the location or words. What makes it perfect is knowing that you love me enough to propose."

"I do. And I have for a long time. Like I told you before, I decided that this was what I wanted months ago. As I said, it's not the ideal scenario, but laying out here with you talking about our past, present, and future made me realize that this was the perfect time. My favorite moments are when it's just you and I together." Flint swallowed heavily. "And soon we'll be adding our child."

He reached into his pocket and brought out a ring. "So, Alison Hart-Burnett, will you marry me?"

Lady Jaye's face burst into the grin she had been holding back. She tried to say yes, but she found that she couldn't talk. Instead she nodded vigorously. Flint carefully put the ring on her finger. It was too dark to see it clearly, so she couldn't wait to get inside to get a good look at it. But first she needed to show Flint just how much she loved him.


	33. Chapter 33

Thanksgiving Day started only a few hours later. Lady Jaye woke with a start when she heard a crash come from the first floor of the house. She sat up and wondered aloud what was going on.

Flint barely woke up. "It's just my mom getting started on Thanksgiving dinner."

Lady Jaye lay back down and Flint wrapped his arms around her. "Already?"

Flint grunted an affirmative. "She likes to get an early start."

"Should we go down to help her?"

"No. I think she enjoys the alone time before the chaos sets in. So go back to sleep. She'll put you to work later."

Lady Jaye felt guilty, but not enough to get out of bed. Instead she gazed at the new piece of jewelry adorning her left hand and eventually fell asleep. She was again awoken a couple of hours later by another series of banging coming from the kitchen. She got out of bed, and this time Flint didn't wake up. She dressed, and then went downstairs and into the kitchen. She found Marie on her hands and knees, pulling out what looked like every pot and pan they owned out of the lower cabinet.

Lady Jaye bent over and began to pick up the cookware scattered among the floor. "Do you want me to put these anywhere in particular?"

Marie startled as she turned around. "Oh, dear, I'm sorry. Did I wake you? It's been a few years since I've had guests sleepover the night before Thanksgiving, and I forgot how noisy I can be when I start preparing the dinner."

"Yes, but it's okay. This is actually a leisurely hour for me. I'm used to being up much earlier than this."

"True, but you're supposed to be on vacation. And you need all the rest you can get now."

"I'm good. It has been a hectic couple of days, but luckily since we're not flying back until Sunday, I still have time to catch up on sleep. And at least Dash is taking advantage of it."

Marie let out a grunt. "Typical man. Just like his father. I need to have a talk with him. I hope he realizes that he needs to put your health and well being first."

The last thing Lady Jaye needed was for Flint to be even more concerned about her every move. So she quickly went to reassure Marie before she put any other ideas in his head. "He's been wonderful ever since he found out. He definitely makes sure that I don't overdo anything, and that I have everything I could need."

Marie beamed. "I'm glad to hear that. He really is a good boy."

Lady Jaye hid her smile as she turned towards the stove. "Do you mind if I make some tea?" She made a point of keeping her left hand out of view. She wasn't sure how Flint planned to tell his parents about their sudden engagement, so she didn't want his mother to find out about it prematurely.

Marie waved her away. "Go sit down, I'll make it. And what do you want for breakfast? Usually, I try to restrict our morning meal, so everyone is good and hungry for the Thanksgiving dinner. However, in your case, you need the extra calories." Marie paused and eyed her. "I never did ask, how many weeks are you?"

"Eighteen. I'm due April 30th."

Marie frowned. "Are you eating enough? Shouldn't you be showing more?"

Lady Jaye rubbed her abdomen. She had noticed that her baby bump had grown slightly since she first became aware of it in Scotland. She briefly wondered if all of her effort the last few weeks to keep her condition hidden subconsciously slowed its growth. But she had received a clean bill of health the previous day, so she knew she was fine. "I believe I am. I read that women who exercise a lot end up gaining less weight. And since both ultrasounds I had showed that the baby is a good size, I'm not worried."

Marie nodded. "I'm sure everything is fine. But still, I'm going to make you a hearty plate of eggs and bacon."

Flint finally came down as she was finishing her breakfast. Marie made way too much, so she was happy when Flint leaned over to steal a piece of bacon. However his mother smacked it out of his hand. "She needs to eat, but you don't."

Lady Jaye let out a laugh. She knew quite a few Joes, Shipwreck included, that would have paid good money to witness that little scene. She snuck him the piece when Marie had her back turned. He gave her a kiss, grabbed a cup of coffee and took a seat on the couch. And proceeded to stay there for most of the morning, while his mother continued her mad preparations. Lady Jaye felt guilty and kept offering to help, but after the third time Marie chased her from the kitchen she decided to listen. She figured she was going to be more of a hindrance than a help anyway.

She joined Flint in the living room, where he was watching the Thanksgiving Day parade with his father. She wondered how the men could be so selfish and lazy while Marie was making herself crazy. So she called Flint on it. "How can you just sit here with all of that activity in there? Shouldn't you go help?"

"No. Because then that would ruin her infamous Thanksgiving dinner martyr complex," Flint answered.

Lady Jaye laughed. "That's terrible!"

"It's true," Nate explained. "I've been married to that woman for nearly forty years and I have long since realized that she can't enjoy a holiday unless she gets her moment to tell each and every guest how she spent hours slaving away alone in the kitchen."

The front door opened and Diana walked in. Flint jumped up and greeted his sister warmly. "Where's Bill?"

"He'll be coming in a couple of hours with the kids. I didn't want them running around here just yet. And speaking of kids, congratulations you two!"

"So you heard the news?" Flint said with a smile.

"Yep. Mom called me when she left the hospital yesterday."

Lady Jaye figured she must have gotten quite the earful. "But don't worry," Diana continued. "She swears I'm the only one she told. So you can still make the announcement at dinner later." She then reached down and handed Lady Jaye a bag. "I brought you some of my favorite pregnancy and child rearing books. Also, I have some like new maternity clothes packed away. I won't be needing them again, so you're welcome to come over before you leave to see what I have. You're free to take whatever you like."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lady Jaye said.

Another crash came from the kitchen and Diana sighed. "I better get in there, as I'm late. If the table is not set in the next five minutes, she's going to have a conniption."

Lady Jaye decided that was a task she could help with. As much as Flint and his father were content to lounge around all day, Lady Jaye wanted to stay on the good side of the woman who would one day become her mother-in-law. She and Diana spent the time setting the tables chatting away, until Marie called for her daughter. Diana sighed. "Is it too early to open the wine?"

Lady Jaye laughed. She then told her she would finish up with the tables, and Diana walked into the kitchen. She finished and then took a step back to admire her handiwork. Just the sheer number of seats spread out around the two large tables was amazing. She knew Flint's immediate family was coming but that left almost a dozen seats unaccounted for. She wondered who else was on the guest list, and she made a mental note to ask Flint for a CliffsNote version of the family tree. Since they had to cut their Christmas trip short, she hadn't had the chance to meet any of his extended family. The only one she knew was his cousin Ted, but he wasn't coming.

She had never experienced a Thanksgiving like this growing up. However, it wouldn't be the first time that she spent a holiday with such a large group of people. Of course the Joes always put on a nice spread for those that hadn't been granted leave during a holiday stand-down. And before that there had been a time or two when she had gone home with a friend or a boyfriend to celebrate a holiday with their family. But this year, seeing all the empty chairs that will soon be filled with Flint's relatives, and knowing that her baby would be entering the world with this ready-made family waiting for its arrival, was almost an overwhelming feeling.

Flint walked into the dining room and came up behind her. He leaned in and kissed her neck. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Same to you," she replied as she spun around.

"Are you okay? You looked a little sad."

"No, I'm anything but. I was just thinking about how Junior will be joining your family in a few months."

"You mean _our_ family," Flint replied. He fiddled with her ring. "It looks good on you."

Lady Jaye held out her hand. "I really do love it. So have you told your parents yet?"

"No, not yet," Flint answered with a cryptic smile.

Lady Jaye was going to ask him what he had planned, but then she heard a car in the driveway. She realized that she never showered or dressed for dinner so she excused herself to get ready.

She hopped in the shower, and within moments she heard the outer door open. She froze as she wondered if one of the relatives had made a mistake and entered a bathroom in use. But then the shower curtain was pulled back and a naked Flint joined her.

"Dash, are you nuts? You probably have half of your relatives downstairs."

"Maybe. But between the noise of the football game, the dogs my uncle brought, the kids running around, and the sounds of my dad hacking into the turkey, no one can hear what is going on up here. So I want to take advantage of that and make love to my fiancée."

Their shower escapades spilled over into their bedroom, so by the time they came downstairs all of Flint's relatives had already arrived. They were seated soon thereafter and Lady Jaye didn't miss the look of annoyance that Marie shot Flint.

Lady Jaye sat at the large table with Flint at her side, his arm draped around her shoulders. The turkey and the many side dishes looked and smelled delicious. She leaned over and whispered to Flint, "Did your mother go above and beyond this year because of your pending announcement?"

Flint looked up and down the table and then shook his head. "No, this is pretty standard."

"Really? She does this to herself every year?"

Once everyone was seated, Marie read a Thanksgiving prayer, and then with a pointed look at Flint, asked if anyone would like to say a few words over something they were thankful for. Flint took that as his cue to stand. Lady Jaye noticed that while they had been occupied somebody had gone ahead and poured out the champagne.

They were strategically seated so that they could see both tables. Flint started his toast with thanking his relatives for coming and how he was happy to see everyone again. "I have a lot to be thankful for this year. As you all know, my team and I have been involved in a series of nasty battles with the terrorist organization Cobra. But I am very happy to report that all signs show that we have defeated the group once and for all, which makes all of us, and our country safer tonight."

Flint had to pause as a round of applause broke out. He then turned towards Lady Jaye. "I'm also extremely thankful for this beautiful woman sitting next to me. I would not have made it through the last few years without her by my side. Which is why I asked her to marry me. I'm happy to report that she said yes."

This time they were greeted with a round of whoops and hollers. She noticed that Nate nudged Marie, who nodded and smiled. One of Flint's uncles grabbed his glass of champagne and bringing it into the air, yelled out "Cheers!"

"Hold on Uncle Wally," Flint said with a smile. "I just have one last thing to say and then we can do a proper toast. "Not only is Alison soon going to be my wife, but she's also going to be the mother of my son or daughter, who should be arriving at the end of April."

There was a louder cheer and a raising of glasses to toast them. Lady Jaye then spent the dinner time being congratulated by various members of Flint's family. She was afraid that they were going to be the only topic of conversation when she was saved from the limelight by David's youngest son.

The toddler walked over and pulled on his mothers arm. "Mommy, I don't feel so good." He kneeled down and wrapped his arms around one of the dogs. And then proceeded to vomit all over him.

That ended the Thanksgiving meal. David's wife swooped up her son and ran him up the stairs, while David deftly grabbed a hold of the dog's collar and dragged him outside. He had to fight off the other dog who was desperately trying to lick at the vomited covered fur.

Lady Jaye wasn't sure what to do. Half of the remaining guests, Flint included, escaped to the living room to watch the end of the football game. The other half began to clear the table. She grabbed her plates and carried them into the kitchen. She helped with clean-up until David returned with the now wet but much cleaner dog.

Diana went to his side. "Stomach bug?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I'm going to guess it's because Dad kept sneaking him snacks."

Diana looked towards Lady Jaye. "Don't worry, these kind of episodes are not normally so dramatic and frequent."

David let out a laugh. "If you think that, you've been lucky. Ann and I have long since determined that it's not a true Faireborn vacation until Danny vomits on someone or something. And it looks like Devin is following in his older brother's footsteps."

Diana glanced over at Lady Jaye who was apparently was not hiding her thoughts on the matter. "Dave, stop. You're scaring the mom-to-be. Alison, I know this may be hard to believe but it really is true that you have a much higher tolerance for the body fluids that come out of your own child."

Lady Jaye smiled politely and then decided to join the contingent that was watching football. One of the couches was empty, so she sat down. Shortly thereafter a woman she recognized as one of Flint's aunts took the seat next to her. She clinked her wine glass against Lady Jaye's water glass. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both."

"Thank you," Lady Jaye replied, figuring the conversation was over. But she was wrong. The aunt continued to talk about the blessings a baby brought into the world. Lady Jaye nodded politely in all the right places. Right about the point she remembered that the woman's name was Betty, the conversation became interesting.

"I was so happy when Dashiell announced that he was going away to school. The best thing he ever did was get away from his mother."

Lady Jaye's eyes widened and she had to bite down on her tongue to stifle a laugh. Luckily, Aunt Betty was more than happy to have a single sided conversation. "I know that's a terrible thing to say. And I should say I love my sister-in-law. It's obvious that she makes my brother happy, and she would do anything for her family. But she's a bit controlling and neurotic. Just take a look at Diana. She's a nervous wreck, because her mother drives her crazy at the holidays."

Lady Jaye looked over at Flint's sister, who had been wound pretty tight that day. And she had seen first- hand the bickering and fighting between mother and daughter, but she had assumed that was a normal part of their relationship. "Diana has seemed tense," Lady Jaye admitted.

"Again, I don't want to talk bad about who will soon be your mother-in-law, but I just want to pass along the advice that while she only wants to do what is best for her family, you have to make sure you do what is best for yours."

Lady Jaye smiled and thanked her. She saw Flint out of the corner of her eye, so she excused herself and went to his side. "Can we take a walk outside?"

"Sure. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need some fresh air."

They walked into the backyard hand in hand. Flint let out a shiver. "It got cold quickly today."

"It did. But it feels good. It was pretty hot in the house."

"I saw that Aunt Betty had cornered you. I hope she didn't bother you, she's a little nuts."

Lady Jaye clamped down on a smile. She was going to need a scorecard to keep track of which of Flint's relative were sane, and who were the crazy ones. "She was fine. She just wanted to pass along her congratulations and advice."

Flint grinned. "So my announcement went well, right?"

"It did. See you had nothing to be worried about. Although I'm sure it helped that it was a double announcement. Your mom looked especially happy."

Flint grinned. "I didn't even notice, as I was kind of lost in the moment. Now I think everyone is too full of food and drink to really give me a hard time."

Lady Jaye thought back to what Aunt Betty said. "And if they do, does it really matter? As long as we're happy, isn't that what's important?"

"Of course. But between General Bradshaw's decision and Junior's arrival I think we're going to need the support of family. So I'd like to have them on our side."

Lady Jaye engulfed him in a hug. While in his embrace, Lady Jaye pondered Flint's words. She started to second guess his motivation for the proposal. Did he really want to get married, or did he do it so he could look good in front of his family? Or was she just reading too much into the whole thing?

Lady Jaye pulled away to look at Flint. It was nearly dark, so it was hard to get a good look at him, but she could still see and feel the happiness he was emitting. So she decided her last thought was the correct one, and that she should dwell too long on the negative thoughts.

Their quiet time was interrupted a few moments later by the back door opening, and out rushed the dogs along with a couple of Flint's nephews. Flint walked over to the side of the house and turned on the back yard lights. "Be careful boys," Flint called out. He then turned to Lady Jaye. "Kids are amazing. Diana said Drew was so sick earlier in the week, and now he looks perfectly fine."

Lady Jaye became lost in thought as she watched the boys play. She became emotional as she thought about how in a few years Junior would probably be running around the same back yard with his or her cousins. Her thoughts were interrupted by Diana calling for her son to say good-bye.

"Bye Uncle Dash!" Drew said as he ran over to give Flint a hug. He then went to do the same to Lady Jaye but Flint stopped him.

"I know you feel better, but I don't want you to get Aunt Alison's baby sick."

He frowned. "The baby in her tummy?" After Flint nodded, he continued. "How did it get in her tummy?"

Lady Jaye stifled a laugh. "That is a great question, Uncle Dash."

Flint blushed. "Go ask your mother," he mumbled.

Once the boy ran off, Lady Jaye let out her laugh. "You're going to have to come up with a better birds and the bees talk."

"I know. I'll spend the next few years working on it." Flint wrapped his arm around her. "So did you have a good Thanksgiving?"

"I did," Lady Jaye said. As they walked back into the house, she realized that she truly meant it.


	34. Chapter 34

Flint's pacing was threatening to unhinge her. Lady Jaye had to keep biting her tongue to stop herself from yelling at him. She knew he was just as nervous as she was. She was doing her own fidgeting as well. She kept tugging at her incredibly tight and uncomfortable pants, hoping to somehow squeeze out a little bit more space.

The previous night she tried to do a quick sewing repair on her uniform pants. They had landed earlier in the day to the message that General Bradshaw wanted to see them in his office at 0700 Monday morning. Luckily, she had the foresight to try on her uniform pants once they arrived back at the apartment. It was clear that she had grown over the Thanksgiving holiday, and her pants weren't close to fitting any more. She had no time to get a new pair, so she moved the button as far as she could. It was still tight, but at least she was able to get her uniform to meet regulation standards.

When Flint passed her for the umpteenth time, he reached his hand out to her, but she recoiled from his touch. She tried to ignore the hurt look on his face. However, the last thing she wanted was for General Bradshaw to open his door to see the two of them flaunting their relationship. Flint continued his walk down the hall.

Lady Jaye checked her watch. It was ten after seven, and she became convinced that the general was purposely prolonging their suffering as long as possible. But she forced herself to get a control of her emotions. Not only was she stressed by the pending decision, but she had barely slept the night before so she was extremely cranky.

Mercifully, General Bradshaw's door opened. "Come in," he said simply.

They walked in and took a seat in the chairs in front of his desk. Even though the office looked vastly different from when Hawk occupied it, Lady Jaye still had a flashback to the last time she had been called into there. Even though that had only been a few weeks prior, it felt like an eternity. And considering everything that had happened since, that wasn't surprising.

"I'm going to make this brief," General Bradshaw started once he took a seat. "When you told me your news, my initial reaction was this was going to be a simple decision for me. The rules are pretty clear cut, as well as the punishment for them. I was going to let you know my decision shortly after the talk we had. But I had told you that I was going to take the week to think about it, and I wanted to stand by that.

"I used the time to talk to General Abernathy, Sergeant Hauser, Sergeant Sneeden, and others. At first I did that to keep up the appearance of following through with the proceedings, as I felt that my mind was made up. But in talking to your coworkers, I learned a lot. It was clear that every one of them respected you and the work you both have done the last few years. However, I was still frustrated by your blatant disregard for the rules of the military. Until I talked to General Abernathy, and got a clearer picture of the Joe team's day to day operation before my arrival. So based on his guidance I have decided not to follow through on a court martial or any other criminal charges."

Lady Jaye let out a sigh of relief that the worst option was not going to happen.

General Bradshaw continued. "That said, there still has to be consequences for your actions. While any extra-curricular activity was passively condoned by General Abernathy, you both knew that I, as well as the army as a whole, expressively condemned it. So there must be consequences. Warrant Officer Faireborn, you will retain your rank and position, however your pay will be docked the next two months. In addition, any promotions and pay raises are put on hold for a probationary period of a minimum two years. This goes into effect the minute I sign the paperwork, so your name is being pulled from the review board."

Lady Jaye looked at Flint from the corner of her eye. His face was impassive, but she could see his tension releasing. She began to get cautiously optimistic for their future.

General Bradshaw leaned forward on his desk to stare at her. "Now, Corporal Hart-Burnett. Your actions have particularly disappointed me, especially in light on your pregnancy. So effective immediately, you are being discharged from the US Army. In light of the glowing reviews of your peers, and despite my own feelings on this, it will be an honorable discharge. If you choose to do so, you can continue in the US Army Reserves, but Ms. Hart-Burnett, your active duty career is over."

Alison gasped. Flint turned and looked at her in horror, but she couldn't face him. Her mind reeled and she didn't know what to do next.

"It is your right to appeal my decision, but I strongly advise against doing so. This is a very generous judgment, and I doubt you would get anything better from another party. You are dismissed."

Alison stood up, but paused. This time she did look at Flint. He had his head down, and his hand was rubbing at his temple. She desperately hoped that he would make some kind of plea on her behalf, but he kept quiet. So she made her own appeal. "General, Sir, I beg you to reconsider."

"Ms. Hart-Burnett, I have considered and reconsidered this situation more than you can imagine. And quite frankly, I have spent more time on this than I think you deserve. So I remind you that you are dismissed, and I ask that you don't make this any uglier than it already is."

Alison again looked at Flint, the man who had spent weeks promising that they were going to go through better and worse together. The man who only a few days earlier reiterated that all he needed was her in his life. The man who claimed that he could leave the Joe team on her behalf. The man who continued to sit there in silence. She didn't know what made the situation worse. The general's decision that took away her career, or the fact the Flint had apparently only said those things to placate her.

Alison stumbled out the door. Once in the hallway, she still was at a loss as to what to do. She fell against the wall, and tried to catch her breath. She had no idea what came next. Flint walked out of General Bradshaw's office a few moments later. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Alison, honey, I am so sorry."

She pulled out of his grasp and began to march down the hall. She had to get off base and away from him. She needed time to process what just happened. So she ignored him as he called after her. He raced after her and grabbed her arm. "Al, please, wait. Let's talk about this."

She shook her head and pulled her arm away. "Flint, I can't. Let me go. I can't talk to you right now."

"I know you're shocked and upset. I am too. But let me help you."

"No. Believe me, you've done enough. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me alone right now. I'm having a hard time stopping myself from saying things I won't ever be able to take back."

She again raced down the hall and was relieved that he finally listened to her. The tears began to fall, and as she wiped them away she bumped into Shipwreck. His face instantly became one of concern. "Lady Jaye, what happened?"

His question only made her tears fall harder. Lady Jaye no longer existed.

* * *

Flint listened to Alison's voice mail pick up yet again and he slammed the phone into the receiver. The gesture did little to calm him down, so he picked up the phone and flung it at the wall across the room.

He dropped his head into his hands as he began to run through the list of questions he had been asking himself the last few hours. Where did she run off to? What was she doing? What was she thinking? Was she physically okay? Was she ever going to come back? He had no answers, and with each unanswered phone call, he grew more and more panicked. He had reached the point that he didn't even care if she never spoke to him again. He just wanted her to send him a message that she was okay.

General Bradshaw's decision had truly shocked him, and he knew that was only a fraction of what she was experiencing. Even though he had spent the week in Kansas mulling over the different outcomes, he never expected this one. He thought for sure that if anyone was getting fired it was going to be him.

But for her to be the only one to lose her career, while his wasn't even touched seemed especially cruel. That's what was so surprising. He had gone into that meeting braced for the fact that he was going to be looking for a new job. So when General Bradshaw announced that it was Alison actually taking the fall, he was too stunned to speak.

A knock on the door brought him from his thoughts. He looked up briefly and saw that it was Duke that was staring at the remnants of his phone.

"Flint, I'm sorry. I don't want to bother you, but I can't find Lady…Alison. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Flint mumbled.

"Look, I know you're not in the best frame of mind right now, and as unpleasant as this is, I have paperwork that she needs to sign. So I have to find her."

Flint slammed his hands against the desk and stood up. "Yeah, you and me both. Did you not hear me? I don't know where she is. She took off after Bradshaw shit-canned her career, and I haven't seen or heard from her since."

"And, what, you're just sitting here waiting for her to return?"

Flint was truly on the verge of snapping. "Fuck you, Hauser. You think I wanted my hysterical pregnant fiancée running off to deal with this alone? After thanking me for ruining her life, she made it quite clear that I needed to stay away from her. I didn't want to upset her any further, so I listened. I honestly thought she would be back after she calmed down. But it's been a few hours now, and I haven't heard from her. I've been calling her non-stop but she doesn't answer. What's making me crazy is that I don't know if that's because she doesn't want to talk to me, or if something happened."

"I'm sure she's fine. Like you said, she's probably just holed up somewhere working through this. If you want to give me a list of her usual haunts, I can send out some guys to try to find her. Word travels fast here, and I've already had visits from several of her friends devastated by the news, so getting guys to volunteer won't be a problem. And in the meantime, I can make some calls, just to make sure she hadn't run into any trouble."

Flint nodded. Having a plan of attack calmed him down somewhat. "Thank you. I really appreciate this."

Duke walked over and put his hand on Flint's shoulder. "You're not the only one that cares about her. As much as I didn't approve of your tactics, I'll be the first to admit she got a raw deal in this. I'm sure General Bradshaw had his reasons, but it still doesn't seem fair. Regardless, my number one priority is making sure that she's okay. Once I hear something, I will let you know."

Alison walked into the hotel room, and placed her bags and key on the small desk near the TV. She then took off her shoes, and lay down on the bed. While her hours long drive that afternoon had been soothing for her mind, it had played a part on her body. It felt good to stretch out.

She was no closer to having a plan moving forward, but she was in a much better frame of mind than she had been that morning after hearing General Bradshaw's decision. She wasn't totally accepting of it, as just thinking about it again was making her blood pressure rise, however she didn't feel the total sense of despair. Even her bitter feelings toward Flint softened. Not enough that she was ready to run back into his arms, but she didn't feel quite as betrayed as she did earlier.

As she continued to lie there, she began to feel Junior's movements. That brought a small smile to her face. Despite not knowing what the future held as far as her career and even her relationship with Flint, she did know that in a few months time she was going to give birth to a little boy or girl. And now that she didn't have to worry about trying to save her job, she can finally focus on her son or daughter.

And she was lucky in the fact that she didn't need her career to survive. She had enough money in the bank to live a comfortable life, even if she never worked another day. She couldn't see spending the rest of her life idly doing nothing, but at least she didn't have the stress of desperately trying to figure out how she was going to make ends meet.

One of the several possibilities she considered during her drive through a good chunk of the Arizonan desert was the idea of cashing in on her family's wealth, and spending a few years with her child traveling and seeing the world. It was tempting. It would be quite the educational experience for her child who was also sure to become multi-lingual like she was. But she didn't think she could be truly happy that way. After years of serving her country, it felt like a cop out to just sit back and let the world destroy itself without her trying to stop it.

And in spite of her current feelings for Flint, it seemed especially cruel to keep the baby he so obviously loved away from him. She slowly got out of the bed and went to the desk to retrieve her phone. When she first left the Joe HQ, she took great satisfaction every time her phone rang to just let it go to voice mail. She figured it would serve Flint right if she made him worry about her for a while. But after an hour, with the phone ringing every few minutes, it began to grate on her nerves. She finally turned it off.

When she stopped at a rest area for gas, a sandwich and a pee break, she turned her phone back on. She felt a pang of guilt as she saw that she had nearly a dozen messages. She tried to listen to them, but hearing his voice on the first one, enraged her so much that she again turned her phone off.

But she knew that by now, with her being gone for almost twelve hours, he was probably in a certified panic. So she again turned on her phone, and ignoring the list of missed calls and messages, she used it just long enough to send him a text message. She figured that at the very least he deserved to know that she hadn't driven herself into a ditch in the middle of nowhere.

She composed and erased half dozen different versions of the message. She went from verbose to terse in a matter of edits. She finally settled on "I'm fine. Spending the night in a hotel." She knew the message devoid of emotions or details would upset him, but it got her point across. She briefly considered adding the name of the town she was in, but knowing him, he would probably drive out to where she was and knock on every hotel door until he found her. So she sent the message as it was.

Before she turned her phone off, she dialed Scarlett's phone number. It was the second time Lady Jaye had reached out to her friend. She had debated many times during the past week to call Scarlett, but the trip to Kansas had proved enough of a distraction that she didn't need to trouble her. But once they had returned home, as she had lain awake the previous night with her thoughts running rampant, Lady Jaye finally called in the wee hours of the morning. It had been late afternoon of Monday in Japan, but she had only gotten Scarlett's voice mail.

Lady Jaye again calculated the time difference as she listened to the phone ring. It was mid morning there, but again there was no answer. Once again she left a message for Scarlett to call her. She then stripped out of her clothes, and went to bed.


	35. Chapter 35

The only thing that had kept Flint from becoming totally unhinged at the end of the day was Duke's reassurance that he had reached out to all the local town, county and state police and no one had any record of Alison in any kind of accident or at a hospital. So he was fairly certain that she was still physically fine. It was just that she wanted nothing to do with him.

He continued his vigilance at his desk. Duke tried to convince him to leave to get dinner, but Flint wasn't hungry. Plus the last thing he wanted to do was run into any of his teammates. He couldn't bear to hear any of their sympathetic comments. He thought about going home to the apartment, but he didn't want to sleep in their bed alone. He had the thought that maybe he should in the case she came home, but he found that possibility extremely unlikely.

That thought was confirmed a few moments later when his phone alerted him to an incoming text. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was from Alison. However, while the message reassured him that she was okay, it didn't make him feel any better about their future.

Having finally gotten contact from her, he decided to chance going to his room. He was suddenly exhausted, and he wanted to go to bed. He kept his head down, and avoided all contact with the people in the halls. Luckily, they were all greenshirts and none of the Joes that he knew well enough who might try to engage him in conversation.

Once he got into bed, he couldn't fall asleep. He tossed and turned all night as he thought about his future that had come unhinged. When his alarm finally went off, he begrudgingly got up and tried to resume his normal daily activities.

He knew it was a mistake right from the beginning. This time he wasn't lucky enough to avoid his friends, and he felt like he was bombarded with questions and sympathy. He, at first, tried to humor everyone, but his patience quickly wore thin. By the time he reached officer's call, he was barely grunting responses.

He took his seat at the table, and then proceeded to zone out during the meeting. Once it was over, he stayed seated while the others left. He glared at General Bradshaw, who never met his gaze. He too left, and soon Flint was alone in the room with Duke.

"Flint, you need to go home."

"Why? So I can be reminded that Al left me?"

Duke exhaled. "No. So you get off this base before you do something you are going to regret."

"I regret too much already, so I don't think there is any more harm I can do."

"I disagree. You could dig your current hole a lot deeper. So I am ordering you to get out of here."

Flint laughed. "Haven't you heard Duke that I typically disregard orders?" However, he wasn't in the mood for a lecture from Duke so he stood up and left the conference room. He decided that he needed some air, so he headed outside.

He was stopped in the hallway by Ripcord. "Flint, I heard what happened. How's Lady Jaye?"

Flint's shoulders sagged. He really did not want to spend this time updating nosy coworkers. "Don't know," he mumbled as he tried to muscle past Ripcord.

But the Parachutist held his ground, both figuratively and literally. He put his hands up to block Flint. "Don't be an asshole. You're not the only one who cares about her."

His comment triggered something in Flint's mind. With everything that had happened he had forgotten about Ripcord's comments to Alison after they had returned from the Scotland mission. On a good day he had a hard time keeping his jealous impulses in check. This day was anything but good, so he snapped. He grabbed Ripcord's shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "What does that mean, Weems? What happened between the two of you in Scotland?"

Ripcord smiled at him. "You mean she didn't tell you? I guess she wants to keep it just between us."

It was all Flint needed to hear. He pulled his fist back to punch Ripcord but before he could bring it forward, he was stopped by Duke, who pushed him back towards the opposite wall. "I already warned you once," Duke said with a growl. "If you don't go home, I will put you in the brig."

Duke, keeping his arm on Flint, turned around towards Ripcord. "And why the hell are you instigating him?"

Ripcord scoffed. "Instigating him? I asked a simple question."

Duke shook his head. "Get out of here."

Ripcord folded his arms across his chest. "Not until I find out that Lady Jaye is okay."

Flint went to open his mouth, but Duke quieted him with a glare. He then turned his attention back to Ripcord. "Go in my office. I'll talk to you once I'm done here."

Ripcord held his ground for a moment, but then he nodded and turned to leave. However, he stopped again. "You want to know what happened in Scotland? Nothing. She made it clear that she was still madly in love with you. A fact that blows my mind."

Ripcord's admission should have made Flint feel better, but it didn't. It just reminded him on what he lost. However, his anger at the man did dissipate. "Weems, wait. If you want to find out how she's doing, just call her cell phone. Unlike mine, she may actually answer your call."

Ripcord finally left. Duke held him still for a few moments longer and then released his grip. "Flint don't force me to do something drastic. Get out of here."

The fight left Flint, so he just nodded. While he still didn't think going home was a good idea, he realized he didn't really have a choice. So he drove to the apartment. And when he saw that Alison's car was in the lot, he quickly parked and ran inside.

He found her in their bedroom. "Alison, thank God," he said as he went to her. He engulfed her in a hug she half-heartedly returned. "I was so worried about you."

She pulled away but looked at him. "I am sorry about that. I know you don't deserve to be hurt like this, but Dash, I still can't…" she trailed off as she shook her head.

He noticed that she was packing a suitcase. "Are you leaving?"

She nodded. "I have to get away for a few days. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am in a better place today. But I still need to go away alone and think for a couple of days."

"You don't need to go through this alone. I am here for you."

Her demeanor changed in an instant. Anger replaced the sadness in her eyes. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I'm glad that now you want to help me," she spat out. She then shook her head. "This is why I need to get away for a few days. My life has been so out of control these last few months. So I just need to take a break, do some thinking, and get away from everything and everyone. I'm afraid that includes you."

Despite that what she was doing was breaking his heart, he had to let her go. She needed to get her head wrapped around the situation. "Okay, I understand that you need to do this. But please, take care of yourself and Junior and just promise me you're not going to do anything drastic."

Her face took a dark turn. "I can't believe that after all this, you still don't trust me." She slammed her suitcase closed. "Don't worry, I am going to take very good care of the baby. She's all I have left."

"No, Al, that's not what I meant," Flint tried to explain as he followed her down the hall. She reached the front door and he grabbed her arm to stop her. "I know how much you love the baby and how much you've sacrificed for him. And I can only imagine how much you hate and blame me for what's happened. So I get that you need some time away, but please come back to me. I love you."

Alison's gaze dropped to the floor, and for a brief moment, Flint had the hope that she was reconsidering leaving. But then she looked at him, and he could still see the anger and hurt in her eyes. "I can't make any promises," she said before she pulled out of his grasp and walked out.

Flint watched the door close behind her. He considered chasing after her, but he knew that was only going to lead to a scene in the parking lot, which would probably only alienate her further. He had to hope that her love for him was strong enough that it would overcome any other feelings of hatred or disgust.

The ringing of his phone broke through his thoughts. He pulled it out and saw that it was his parents calling. He sighed as he realized he never did let them know what the general had decided. He didn't really want to rehash it with them at that moment, but he figured he might as well since he couldn't possible feel any worse. So he answered the phone.

"Dashiell, it's mom and dad." Flint heard his dad say hello in the background. "You didn't call us yesterday with an update, so we're checking it with you. Did your boss make his decision?"

"First of all, take me off of speaker phone. I'm not having a conversation like this."

"But son, we both want to hear what happened," his mom argued, however his father said he would pick up the phone extension. Once they were both on he gave a quick recap of the general's decision. He stopped short of telling them that Alison, for all intents and purposes, had left him.

"Your career remains intact?" Flint's father asked.

"I'm not going to be rising up the ranks any time soon, if ever, but yes, I still have my job with the Joe team."

"Well that's good. At least you got what you wanted," his mother replied.

Flint had to bite his tongue as he looked again at the front door. This was far from what he wanted. His annoyance at his parents increased with his mother's next comments. "And really, this is probably for the best. I bet once Alison had the baby she would have realized her Army career wouldn't have worked out. Now she can focus all of her energy on getting ready for the baby and the wedding."

Flint pulled the phone away from his ear to give himself a moment to compose himself. Once he had his anger in check he decided he needed to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "I'm sorry, I hate to cut this short, but I'm in a middle of a few things here that really need to be taken care of. I'll call you back." He hung up before he could register their protests.

* * *

Alison unlocked the door to her hotel room and walked in. It was nearing the end of her first official day of her forced vacation. She glanced at the open suitcase on the bed and decided she was going to unpack. While out on her walk in town, she debated whether she was going to spend a few days in La Jolla, or move on as she originally thought. She had come to the conclusion that she was tired of running away.

Coming to La Jolla had been a spur of the moment decision, which was why she left her departure date open-ended. After she left the apartment the previous day, she stopped at a diner for lunch and to contemplate her next action. As she climbed in her car, she knew she wanted to head west, and find a place on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Once she neared Los Angeles, she made another impromptu choice to head south and find a smaller town to temporarily call home. The exit sign for La Jolla seemed to call out to her so again, she followed her instincts.

But before she tackled the suitcase, she wanted to revel a little longer in her life of leisure. Based on the shades of orange and red coming in through the windows, she guessed she timed the sunset correctly. She grabbed her bottle of sparkling water, and walked out onto her private balcony. She was glad that she had decided to stay at the older Victorian hotel instead of one of the name brands down the road. It was worth giving up some of the modern conveniences to have a view of the sun setting on the ocean. And the hotel did have its charm.

She took a deep breath and breathed in the salty rapidly cooling air. Junior too must have been enjoying the fresh air because the movements that had become a regular occurrence seemed to be stronger. Or maybe the baby was just enjoying the fact that for the first time in days Alison wasn't angry or stressed out.

In fact, Alison was in such a good place that she was willing to take the risk of a phone call to Flint. At the very least she needed to let him know that she was doing okay. She speed dialed his cell and she figured he was anxious to hear from her since he answered the phone after the first ring.

"Hey, babe," she said. She grimaced as one of her pet names for him slipped out. She continued quickly, hoping that he wouldn't notice. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm settled in at a beautiful hotel in La Jolla."

"I'm really glad to hear that. It's great to hear your voice."

"Yours too," Alison said, and she realized she meant it. She settled deeper in the chair and rested her hand on her abdomen. "Junior's kicking," she said quietly.

"Does it still feel the same, or is it stronger now?"

"It's stronger. Where a week ago it felt like a fluttering, now it's starting to feel like definite movements."

"The ocean air is probably good for him."

Alison smiled. "I thought the same thing."

"So La Jolla? That must have been a long drive."

"It wasn't too bad. I took my time. I stopped at a few places on the way here."

"I hope you're having a good time."

"I am. I took an amazing yoga class on the beach this morning. It was really therapeutic."

"It sounds nice." Flint paused a moment before he continued. "I've always wanted to see La Jolla. Do you think I could join you for a couple days?"

Alison hesitated before answering. The way her heart starting pounding in her chest made her realize how much she did want to see him again. But she was still afraid they had too many unresolved issues. "I don't know."

"Al, it'll be good for us. I think a lot more can be accomplished if we talked face to face. And besides, Duke has been telling me I should take some time off."

Any excitement she had felt about seeing him again rapidly disappeared. His comment proved to her that any happiness in a reunion would be short lived. Because in the end, he would still be returning to the Joes, a team that she was now banned from. And what would she do at that point? Continue to tour the world looking for a new source of life satisfaction? Or would she just give up her quest and resign herself to a life of putting other people's happiness in front of her own?

She wasn't ready to make that call yet. "Dash, no. It's too soon. I still need more time."

Flint sighed. "Okay, fine. But tell me if you change your mind. I'll drop everything and come to you."

"I'll let you know if I do," she replied lamely. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She tried to get herself back to the relaxed state she was just in.

Unfortunately Flint seemed to be determined to not make that happen to her. "My parents called to check up on us." Alison shut her eyes. If Flint's comment about taking time off from the Joe team was strike one, bringing his parents up was strike two.

"They must have been thrilled that you're still gainfully employed. Were they even a little bit upset to learn I wasn't?"

"Of course they were upset. My mother though, tried to help us out by pointing out the positive aspect of your situation."

"Which is?"

"Now you have the opportunity to figure out what you really want. Whether that's getting another job or staying home with the baby." To continue the baseball analogy, Flint had just hit a pop-up foul ball into the stands.

"That is true. I have given that a lot of thought," Alison said. She, though, was going to make it quite clear that his mother's dream of her being a stay at home mother to their children while Flint went out every morning to fight the good fight, was never going to come true. "And in a way it is nice that my future is wide open. I imagine with my education, and life experiences I could find another job somewhere. Maybe in the CIA, or NSA. Or perhaps I decide to say the hell with it all and I spend the next couple of years traveling Europe or even the world."

Flint didn't rise to the bait. Instead, they fell into an uncomfortable silence until he said, "I saw on the calendar that your ultrasound is scheduled for next week."

"Yes, I know," she answered as she shook her head in frustration.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't forget." Nagging her about the baby was the equivalent of strike three being called. She finally unleashed her anger. "Well, thank goodness you're here to remind me. Without you I would never have noticed that I'm five months pregnant. I mean, I only have this baby growing inside of me, kicking me a few times a day. But I could see how you might think I don't care enough about making sure my baby is healthy, that I would need to be reminded of one of the most important doctor appointments I have."

"Would you calm down? It was a simple reminder. Look, Alison, apparently we have a lot of things to work out between us. But can we at least come to an agreement that every comment I make about the baby is not an insult to your mothering skills?"

"As soon as you stop making idiotic comments, I'll stop being offended by them."

"It's idiotic that I want to make sure my baby is being well cared for while you're throwing your temper tantrum, and planning an epic trip to Europe?" Apparently Flint too had decided to stop pulling his punches. "I just want to go down on record that regardless of what happens with us, you're not going to stop me from helping raise this child and being a good father to him or her."

"Dash, that's commendable. I just hope you can find the time to compete for father of the year, while continuing your stint as a Real American Hero."

At Joe Headquarters, Flint began a rant in response to Alison's last comment. But when he took a breath, he realized that he was talking to no one as she had already ended the call. For the second time that week, Flint picked up the phone from his desk and threw it against the wall.

"I don't think our shrinking budget can cover the costs of your new phones," Beachhead remarked.

Flint muttered a series of curses in response.

"Do you remember when I first found out about you and Lady Jaye?" Beachhead asked. "I warned you then that things were not going to end well for you."

That had happened shortly after Beachhead had joined the Joes. One morning the newly expanded command staff had taken a tour of the Joe headquarters, where they had suffered through Beachhead's non-stop criticism. And as luck would have it, his words were proven true later that afternoon when they had been attacked by a new Cobra threat, the mechanical BATs.

The Joes had barely beat back the attack, which lead to Hawk announcing that the team was in need of a tune-up. However, that hadn't seemed to appease Beachhead, who had still been harping to Flint about the Joe deficiencies hours later in their office. So when Lady Jaye knocked on his door, she had been the proverbial sight for sore eyes. Since Beachhead had been in mid-rant she hung back to let him finish. He then, thankfully, decided to call it a night and left the office.

"Wow. He really is that intense all the time," Lady Jaye said with a smile as she approached Flint.

"You have no idea. It doesn't help that Cobra went and proved his point this afternoon."

"Today was a close one."

Flint noticed that she had a bandage around her arm. "You were hit?"

Lady Jaye looked towards it. "Yes, but it's not bad. Just some shrapnel grazed me. From what I hear, down time is going to get pretty scarce around here. So do you want to get dinner somewhere?"

Flint grinned. "I was hoping that was why you came by. Yes, I desperately need to get away from here."

Lady Jaye made an exaggerated pout. "And here I thought you were all excited to spend time with me."

He pulled her towards him. "I am always excited to spend time with you." He then kissed her deeply until an outburst interrupted them.

"What the fuck is this?"

Flint pulled away and saw Beachhead standing in the doorway. "This, Sneeden, is none of your business."

"The hell it ain't."

Flint sighed. He looked at Lady Jaye. "I'm going to take care of this, get changed and then I'll meet you in your room."

"Are you sure you want me to go?"

"Yes. I'll be fine."

Lady Jaye skirted around Beachhead and left. The drill sergeant glared after her and then turned his attention to Flint. "How long has this been going on?"

"I told you, it doesn't concern you."

"I know you've taken great joy in telling me the order of the hierarchy here, and while I may be low man, I'm still a member of the command staff. Which means I'm Lady Jaye's superior officer. So, yes, this concerns me. Either you start answering my questions, or I'm going to go ask her."

Flint exhaled sharply. "Fine. We've been together a while."

"How long is a while? A few months? A few weeks?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I want to know exactly how long you've been breaking the fraternization rules."

Flint scoffed. "If you're looking for ammunition in your case against me to take to Hawk, don't bother. It's not going to get you anywhere."

"Really. You mean to tell me he's letting your affair happen?"

"Let's just say he hasn't condemned it."

Beachhead let out a laugh. "So that makes it okay? I think you've just gotten lucky that he hasn't caught you two yet."

Flint shook his head. "My relationship with Lady Jaye is not a secret. Duke is aware, as is any Joe on this base that has been paying attention around here. So while I have never sat down with Hawk to explicitly get his blessing, the fact that he's never called me on my behavior speaks volumes as to whether or not he approves."

"Unbelievable. This is yet another example of what is wrong on this base. No wonder all of the Joes have gotten lax in their discipline."

Flint took a step closer to Beachhead. "I am now officially sick of you and your bullshit. You have no idea what this team has gone through the last three years. I personally have been on a couple dozen missions against Cobra, and you wouldn't believe half the stories I could tell you. Ask any other Joe and they would tell you the same thing. But not one man or woman has quit. Why? Maybe because we got lucky in our recruiting and found the truly elite who are committed to the fight. Or maybe it's because once the battle is over we can come back to HQ and unwind in the way we want without fear of repercussions. So my advice to you is to mind your own business. You could go to Hawk and report each and every rule infraction, but I promise you that is not going to end well."

"Is that a threat? I grew up in a house and environment where the strong took advantage of the weak. So I have very little tolerance of seeing that played out now."

This time Flint laughed. "Have you spent any amount of time with Lady Jaye? I promise you, she is far from the weak one. And I'm definitely not taking advantage of her. Our feelings are mutual."

"Flint, you can justify it all you want. But those rules were put in place for a reason. However, I'm quickly learning that Hawk is letting a lot of things slide. Hopefully today's attack was a wake-up call for him. In the meantime, you should think long and hard whether this fling of yours is truly worth the risk."

"I'll take it under advisement," Flint replied ending the discussion.

Back in the present, Flint said, "Please, go ahead and tell me you told me so. I know you want to. And honestly after the conversation I just had with Alison, I don't give a shit if you do."

Beachhead shook his head and rose from his desk. "No, I don't want to gloat. As I told Lady Jaye last week, I'm not an unfeeling bastard. I just hate watching someone who is supposedly so smart, fuck everything up so spectacularly."

As Flint watched Beachhead leave their office he came to the realization that for the first time, he actually agreed with the drill sergeant.


	36. Chapter 36

Alison shivered as the wind picked up on the beach, and she zipped up her newly purchased fleece. Even though it was December the drastically cooler temperatures she woke up to had come as somewhat of a shock. The cold had apparently chased away the other tourists, as she had the beach all to herself. It reflected perfectly on her current mindset, since she felt like she was totally alone in the world.

She once again tried to read the book that she also recently purchased. But as much as she wanted the fictional escape, she couldn't force herself to concentrate. It had been two days since she had spoken to Flint, and she still hadn't been able to get back to that level of peace she had felt before their conversation. Alison's cell phone rang and she frowned at the unknown number that was on the display. She briefly wondered if Flint was trying to trick her into answering by using a different phone to call her. She almost didn't answer it, but her curiosity got the better of her.

At first no one spoke, so she figured her initial assumption was correct. But then, through a haze of static she heard a voice that belonged to a person she had been desperate to talk to. "Shana! Finally! I've been calling you for a couple of weeks."

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm on a retreat, so I hadn't checked my messages in days. What happened? You sounded so upset. Are you okay? Is it the baby?"

"No, the baby is fine. And I'm physically fine." Alison had to pause a moment as her emotions threatened to get the better of her. "But I'm a mess. General Bradshaw found out about Flint and I and the baby, and he threw me out of the army."

Scarlett gasped. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry."

Alison then spent the next few minutes recapping the ordeal. Once she was done she ended with, "I have no idea what I'm going to do now. I've spent the last few days in La Jolla, trying to avoid any contact with Dash."

"He must be worried sick."

"I'm sure he is. And frankly, I don't give a shit."

"I don't blame you. But what are you going to do? You can't stay in hotels forever."

"To be honest, I don't know. I wake up each day with a new plan. One minute I'm planning on touring Europe for a couple of months, the next I'm debating the pros and cons of moving back to the Vineyard."

"But you haven't considered staying in Arizona?"

"No. Not even once. That's the one plan I've ruled out."

Scarlett exhaled sharply. "I wouldn't be so hasty on that."

"Really? I assumed you, of all people, would understand why I need to get out of Arizona and never look back."

"Al, I do understand why. And believe me, if it was just you we were talking about, I would tell you to buy a plane ticket to Tokyo and I would find you a spare room to move into. But your baby is also going to be affected by your decision. A baby that is still half Dash's. So as much as you would like to sever all ties, you can't."

"So what are you saying? I just suck it up and move back? I can't do that. I can't watch him go off to the Joe team every morning, while I sit at home taking care of the baby that he helped create but didn't get punished for. That scenario might mean the baby gets to live with both of its parents, but I guarantee you that the hostility that develops is not going to be good for anyone."

"No, it won't. But why does it have to be such a hostile environment? Al, I know how much you love him. How could General Bradshaw's decision turn your feelings around that drastically?"

For at least the second time during their conversation, Alison wondered what had gotten into Scarlett to turn her into a mellower version of her previous self. "Because if anyone should have taken the fall, it should have been him."

"Come on. I know you're mad about it, but you can't blame Flint for how the general doled out the punishment."

"I know that. I'm annoyed because I've said that Bradshaw is a misogynist, while Dash has done nothing but defend him. But that's not what really pisses me off. We spent days together at his parents' house where he tried to convince me that we could be happy with a life outside the Joe team. He told me how all he needed was the baby and me. But when push came to shove, he decided that the Joes were actually his first love."

"So what are you saying? You want him to quit the Joes?"

"Honestly? I think that's the least he could do at this point."

Scarlett went quiet. She then asked. "Do you still love him?"

This time Alison paused. She thought back to the middle of the previous night when she had woken up and in her half-asleep state, had reached out for Flint, but came up with nothing but air. She had felt such a pang of longing for him that still hadn't dissipated. "Yes. And I do miss him so very much. But you should know that sometimes love just isn't enough."

"True. But you were fired because of that love. And now you're going to throw away the relationship because you lost your job. Doesn't that seem like a double whammy?"

"It does. And believe me, I would love nothing more than to rub into Bradshaw's face how strong our love is. That despite it all, we're going to live happily ever after. And maybe one day my anger at Dash will fade enough that I can do that. But I'm not there yet. So right now I'm looking for my happily ever after with just the baby and myself."

"How is your pregnancy going?"

For the first time in the conversation, Alison smiled. She rubbed at her abdomen. "Really well. I've felt great the last few weeks. And I have a cute little baby bump." Alison chuckled to herself. Apparently Flint's family had rubbed off on her, as she just used a euphemism she used to hate.

"Do you know what it is yet?"

"No. I have a pretty good feeling that it's a girl, and hopefully next week I'll get a confirmation on that."

Scarlett went quiet for a moment. "Alison, I don't want to act like I have all the answers, but coming out here gave me a chance to do a lot of reflection on my life. I was finally able to overlook the small details to see the big picture. I realized that Duke really was trying to do the right thing. And once I did, so much of my anger finally dissipated. Because of that I'm now in a place where I can find satisfaction in my life again."

Alison began to tear up. She was happy for her friend, but she couldn't foresee that moment of Zen coming into her life any time soon. Scarlett continued, "One thing that I never told you was that I've always been jealous of the amount of affection Flint has shown you. It's obvious he's a man that loves with such passion. His country, his job, his family, but especially you and now the baby. I don't know exactly what happened in the general's office and what is going through Flint's head right now. But I do know he would never intentionally hurt you.

"Right now you are mired in the pain of a few actions. Believe me, I know it's hard but you have to try to see past those hurts. Take a step back to see that you have a man that desperately loves you. I'm sure the only thing he wants now is to figure out how to make this work with you."

Her tears began to flow freely. Alison wanted to believe that Scarlett was right, but whenever she tried to focus on Flint's love for her, she kept flashing on the image of him sitting silently in General Bradshaw's office. And then her anger overtook any good feelings she tried to call up. So she knew she still had a lot of soul searching to do. "Scarlett, thank you for this. You have given me a lot to think about."

"I hope it helps. Our retreat is wrapping up tonight, so I'll be back home tomorrow. If you need to talk again feel free to call, any time of day or night. I'll check back with you in a week or two and you can tell me about your ultrasound. And, Alison, I know you have other things on your mind, but at some point give Duke my letter. I'm ready for him to read it."

"Sure. I'll need to eventually head back to HQ to pack my things, so I will the next time I see him."

Scarlett thanked her, told her to take care and then she hung up. Alison leaned back into her beach chair and looked out onto the ocean. The wind picked up again, and rain drops began to fall. With a sigh Alison stood to collect her things. Any more thoughts to Scarlett's words of wisdom would have to come from the shelter of her hotel room.

* * *

Flint sat at the corner table in the commissary. Between having his back to the cafeteria and giving the impression of reading the book in front of him, Flint hoped he conveyed the back off message. He knew if he really wanted to be left alone he should stay in his room, but he decided about an hour ago that he needed a new wall to stare at.

He again tried to read the words on the page he had been staring at the last few minutes, but a conversation taking place behind him caught his attention.

"I just don't get what else she can take from me. What bothers me the most is that what I make is public record. She can look at any Army pay chart and see that I am actually giving her a little more than the court mandated percentage. But she's still not satisfied."

Flint subtly turned around, and as he guessed it was Mainframe that was ranting and raving. Flint sighed, as he assumed he was watching what was most likely going to be his similar future.

Mainframe continued his tirade, but Flint only half listened as he focused more on his own pity party. However, once Mainframe mentioned his lawyer that caught Flint's attention.

Mainframe stood to leave and Flint followed him out. "Blaine, can I talk to you a minute? I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"Sorry about that. My lawyer called this morning, which always sets me off."

"That's actually why I want to talk to you. Your lawyer, is he a good one?"

Mainframe stared at him a moment. "Uh, yeah. I use a whole law firm that specializes in domestic cases. There are a couple of really good guys on staff. Why, do you need one?"

Flint sighed. He had debated lying and using the tried and true 'no, it's for a friend'. But he had a feeling Mainframe would see right through it. And Flint knew Mainframe wouldn't judge him. "I don't know. I hope not, but in case I do I figure it's probably better to be prepared."

"Come with me to my office, I'll get you their card."

Once there, after Mainframe handed him the business card, he said, "Flint, knowing Lady Jaye and how she feels about you, I can't believe she'd do anything to hurt you. But I once thought the same thing about my ex. So give these guys a call, just for the free consultation. I hope you never need to use them, but it doesn't hurt getting a head start on protecting your rights. Congratulations on the baby, by the way."

"Thanks. I just hope I get a chance to help raise it."

"I hope so too. Despite everything that Ron and I have gone through, I forget all about it when I'm with my kids. They really mean the world to me, and I try not to let the problems I have with their mother interfere with the little time I get with them."

Flint nodded. He was saved from continuing the awkward conversation by an appearance from Breaker. "Flint, Scarlett is on the phone. But when you're done, don't hang up. I still have a line of guys looking to talk to her."

Flint ran to his office to take the call in private. "Red, nice to hear from you. How is life on the other side of the world?"

"It's been good," Scarlett answered. "I don't mean to be abrupt, but chatting with Breaker and Dial-Tone cut into my phone time here, so I'm going to cut right to the heart of the matter. I talked to Alison earlier."

"Oh yeah? Is she still happy in La Jolla?"

"Well, she's still in La Jolla, but I don't think she's happy. I know this is none of my business, but I've had the time the last few weeks to really sit and think about mistakes I've made in life. Mistakes I don't want to see the two of you make."

"Thanks in advance for the advice, but I don't know how much it's really going to help. Alison has made it pretty clear the last few days that she wants nothing to do with me."

"That's not true. I talked to her for a long time, and the one thing she admitted is that she still loves you. She's just so hurt by how things played out."

"I understand that. That's why I want to do whatever I can to help her through this. But if I even suggest getting together to talk, she shuts me down."

Scarlett sighed. "Flint, you have to understand what she's going through. She feels betrayed by General Bradshaw and, quite frankly, you."

Scarlett's statement came as no shock to Flint, as he suspected as much. But still, having it confirmed pained him. "So what do I do to fix this?"

"Make a grand romantic gesture and quit the Joe team as a show of solidarity with her."

"Okay, fine."

Scarlett began to sputter. "Dash, no. You can't do that."

Flint slapped his forehead. "Didn't you just get done telling me that is what I need to do to get her back?"

"I didn't mean it that way. I wanted to show you how she's being selfish and unreasonable right now. Yes, she got burned by this, but that still doesn't mean you need to throw away your career to make her happy. I think if you're patient and let her sort through this, she'll come to the same conclusion herself."

"I don't think I have that kind of time. In less than five months she's going to give birth to our baby. I kind of want to be on speaking terms with her at that point. And besides, I think I've already waited too long. I don't think she's being unreasonable or selfish, I promised her that whatever happened that we would get through it together. Once the general made his announcement, I should have turned in my resignation. We started our affair together, we made a baby together, so we should have been fired together."

"That's very noble of you. And if that's what you have your mind set on, I hope it works. I'm just afraid that she will be only temporarily appeased. Because in the end, she's still going to need to figure out what to do with her life post-Joe."

Flint mulled what Scarlett said. He had thought a lot about what Alison could do, especially after the conversation with his parents. He would never admit it to Scarlett, because he knew it would make him sound sexist and old-fashioned, but a part of him hoped that she would decide to settle down and focus on raising the baby. "And I want to help her do that. Which I can't if she's blinded by resentment. And if it doesn't work at least I satisfied myself that I tried everything to keep my family together."

"And hopefully that will trump the regrets you feel."

"There won't be any regrets. These last couple of days proved to me that I don't want the Joe team if I can't have her. And regardless of how it works out with Alison, the one thing that's certain is that I'm going to be a father. I can provide a much more stable environment for my son or daughter in the civilian world."

Scarlett sighed. "I think that's debatable. But it sounds like your mind is made up. Just take a little more time to think it over. It's only been a few days."

"I will, but I really think this is the right call. Did she tell you I finally proposed?"

"No! Congrat," Scarlett began but then she abruptly cut off her well-wishes.

For Flint that was further proof that his relationship with Lady Jaye was in dire shape. If Alison didn't even tell her closest friend about her engagement, it potentially meant she had no intention of following through with it. "Scarlett, that's why I have to do this. I asked her to marry me last week in the midst of a great time together spent with my family. It proved to me that we can have a good life together away from the Joe team. Which is something you should know about. Unless life isn't so rosy in Japan?"

"No, it is. And I think it was the best decision I made to come out here. You're right that HQ, for a variety of reasons, had developed a toxic environment the last few months. And maybe you too need to get away. I just want to make sure you're doing it because you really want to, and not because you feel like she's giving you an ultimatum."

"No, it's what I want to do." Which wasn't totally true. He truly was okay with the decision, but if he was being honest, he did feel like he had a proverbial gun to his head. One where he had to decide if he wanted Alison or the Joes. And the choice was a no-brainer.

"Okay." Scarlett went quiet, and Flint braced himself for another round of questions. Instead she changed subjects. "So how is the intelligence department? They must be short-handed now."

"They are, but Chuckles and Falcon are handling it."

"Can you transfer me to one of them? I want to see if they have any questions. And Flint, keep me posted. I'm rooting for you guys."

"Thanks," Flint said. He transferred the call, and then he let Breaker know that Scarlett was talking to the remnants of the Intelligence Department. He then sat down to compose his letter of resignation.

The words came easy. He had to take a couple of breaks to research dates on his service history, to solidify his case. He then read it over a couple of times, and placed the letter on his desk. He debated listening to Scarlett, and to wait before presenting it to General Bradshaw. He knew at the very least he should probably sleep on it, and approach the general in the morning. But now that the decision was made, he didn't want to wait any longer. So, grabbing the letter, he went to General Bradshaw's office.

The general was in and told Flint to take a seat at the front of his desk. "No, sir, I prefer to stand. I'm turning in my resignation, which I hope you will make effective immediately. As you can see in my file, I never officially reenlisted when my time was up last year, as I was granted an extension thanks to the War with Cobra."

General Bradshaw deeply frowned. "Warrant Officer Faireborn, you do understand that regardless of that I still need to approve this to make it official?"

"Yes, sir." Flint handed him his paperwork. "I drafted a letter which details my request and the supporting arguments."

The general skimmed through the letter before he spoke. "Unfortunately for you, I disagree. I realize that you have issues that you need to sort through, but if the Army granted discharges to everyone with personal problems, we would have very few men in our ranks."

"But, sir, I also pointed out that I have fulfilled my commitment to the Joe team, and then some. I've paid my debt to Uncle Sam."

"I appreciate that. And yes, technically, your time is up. But I hope when you agreed to join the G.I. Joe team it was made clear to you that you were signing up to a forward deployed unit. Which means basically, we are a unit at war. As you've seen over your last few years here, that a battle with Cobra and other terrorist groups can happen at any time and any place. And therefore, we can't just allow the men assigned here to just up and quit on any given day."

Flint felt his anger bubbling to the surface. "Sir, can I have permission to speak freely?"

"Of course," the general responded with a wave of his hand.

"Everything you have said is valid. I'm just wondering if this is just another way that you're punishing me for my affair with Lady Jaye."

General Bradshaw chuckled and shook his head. "First of all, based on what I've seen and heard the last few days, you've been punished enough for your actions. Secondly, it's awfully egotistical of you to think that I'm basing all of my decisions on how I can hurt you, as opposed to what's best for the Joe team. Do you want to know why I made the decision that I did?"

Flint took a seat. "Yes, I would."

"When I first learned of your affair, my initial instinct was a dishonorable discharge for both of you. But then I talked to several of your colleagues as well as General Abernathy and learned there was more at play. Ms. Hart-Burnett was discharged not because of the affair you two were involved in, but because of the choices she made once she learned of her pregnancy. By keeping quiet of her condition, she put her and her unborn child at risk."

Flint nodded. "But, sir, I too engaged in the deception."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. But ultimately we are talking about her health and body, so she had the final say. And I assumed you did not know or want her to go on the mission to Scotland?"

Flint sighed. "That is correct."

General Bradshaw nodded. "It was not an easy decision for me. I may not know her that well, but I had received nothing but glowing reports about her past performance. Unfortunately, that was not enough to excuse her most recent actions." The general then paused. "As for your fate, how well do you know Sergeant Hauser?"

Flint was taken aback from the question. "Pretty well, sir."

"Then are you aware of the extent of his continuing injuries he sustained in his battle with Serpentor?"

Flint had to admit that he wasn't. For the first couple of months after Duke had been released from the hospital, he had asked Duke how he had been doing. But in typical male machismo, after Duke had said several times that he was fine, Flint stopped asking. "No, sir. I was under the impression that he had returned to normal."

General Bradshaw shook his head. "He hasn't. I admit that I don't know what is normal for him. I also don't want to overplay it, as you can see that in his day to day operations that he can function just fine. But from what I've heard from the medical staff and Duke himself is that he is nowhere near where he used to be, and is not cleared for field work."

Once again Flint startled. He had noticed that Duke had pushed the latest missions off. Flint had assumed that was Duke voluntarily taking the extra time, and not because he had to.

"Which means with Beachhead going to DC and Falcon having his hands full with the intelligence department, that without you, the Joes are left without a Field Commander."

"I'm sure it can be arranged to have Beachhead stay here," Flint said lamely.

General Bradshaw glared at him. "I'm sure it could. But may I also remind you that thanks to your illicit affair, General Abernathy has already lost one of his potential Joe recruits, so I'm loathe to ask him to give up another. And I also could transfer Falcon and put him on the fast track to training for more field work. But again, I'm finding it hard to come up with compelling arguments why I should disrupt this team any further to make sure you get what you want."

Flint opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but the general waved him off. "No, now it's my time to speak freely. As you know, I have a wife and two sons so I know what it's like to be an expectant father. I remember how much love I felt for my wife when she was pregnant, and how all I wanted to do was protect her and the baby she was carrying. And as much as I wanted to be there for them every minute of the day, I knew I had a job to do. My first son was born during month three of an overseas deployment. The first time I held him, he was nearly six months old. It was hard on me, but it was a lot harder on my wife. However, we had made a commitment to the US Army, where family separations are a fact of life."

Flint dropped his head. General Bradshaw was echoing the conversation he had had with his father the previous week. He suddenly became embarrassed by his actions, and wanted nothing more than to leave the general's office. But General Bradshaw continued his tirade. "Apparently, you and Ms. Hart-Burnett seem to think you are exempt from Army law. Which is another reason why she lost her job. I made the decision to let you keep yours because I was under the impression that despite a few lapses in judgment you were still an upstanding Army officer. I'm beginning to have second thoughts. There's a part of me that wants to grant your request, because I don't have the tolerance for the kind of insubordination you've shown me."

General Bradshaw took a deep breath. "However, I'm hoping that your personal situation has temporarily clouded your ability to make rational decisions. So I'm leaving this in your hands. If after everything I just said you feel that you can not perform your duties without distraction, than I want you the hell off of my team and out of the army. But before you make your decision I want to leave you with one more piece of information. When I talked to Sergeant Hauser about you, he reiterated to me how he is not at one hundred percent. But the reason why he hasn't turned in his own resignation due to medical reasons is that he knows he can count on you to help pick up his slack. So if you decide your personal issues are more important than your commitment to this team, I want you to know that there is more at stake than just your job. Duke's career, and quite possibly the fate of the Joe team rest in your hands."

Flint hesitated only a few moments before he spoke. "Sir, I apologize for my actions. Please disregard my request as you and the Joe team have my complete support."

General Bradshaw handed him his paperwork. "Good. Now get out of my office."


	37. Chapter 37

Authors Note: Thank you for your patience in my sporadic posting as of late. These last few chapters have needed some editing so I wanted to take the time to work on them a little longer. Once again thank you to Mossley for all of her beta work and being my sounding board.

* * *

"Forget about the outside world, and focus solely on the sun that is shining, this beautiful Sunday morning, and the peacefulness of this beach."

Alison wished it was that easy. She had been trying to do that throughout the whole yoga class, but unfortunately her thoughts kept intruding. The conversation with Scarlett that she had been dwelling on all weekend had continued to weigh on her. She took a deep cleansing breath, and again tried to clear her mind as the closing meditation session continued.

"In honor of the coming holiday season, I want you to make a mental list of the gifts you have been blessed with."

Alison scoffed to herself. It was hard to come up with a list of gifts when her life was as derailed as it was. She shifted slightly on her blanket as she tried to make herself more comfortable in the sand. She was rewarded with the strongest kick she had felt so far.

 _Okay, Junior. Point taken._ Of course the fact that she was pregnant with, by all indications shown so far, a healthy baby was one of the greatest gifts she could receive. And despite their current status, the fact that the baby had been conceived in an act of love was another gift. She and Flint had shared a deep and loving relationship, and that was going to remain true even if they never got back together.

So she took a deep cleansing breath, and again focused on the soothing words Marissa was chanting. She fell into a deep level of relaxation. That continued even after Marissa ended the class.

Alison knew the other women had left, but she didn't care. Between the sun shining down on her, the nook in the sand she had settled into and the moment of Zen that she had finally reached during the yoga finale, she didn't want to move.

She heard footsteps approach, so she opened her eyes. Marissa knelt in front of her and put her hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I am. I'm just enjoying the moment."

"Good for you. So many who take my class rush off afterwards to knock another item off their vacation to-do list, that I wonder if they've gotten anything out of it."

Alison slowly sat up. "Well, I'm not really on vacation, and I definitely don't have a to-do list, so I have the time to sit back and enjoy this."

Marissa smiled. "Feel free to stay as long as you like, or if you want, I'm heading into town to get breakfast. I know a place that has a great selection of teas, if you want to join me."

Alison opened her mouth to give the automatic response that she wasn't interested. But she stopped herself. She had reached the point that she was tired of being alone, so having someone to talk to for a little while sounded like a good idea. "I'd love to, thanks."

They walked the few blocks to a shop that specialized in tea and scones. Alison smiled. "This looks wonderful."

"Just wait until you taste it. I recommend the Jasmine or Chai tea."

Alison ordered a cup of Chai, and a raspberry scone and then took her breakfast to one of the two person tables. Marissa followed shortly thereafter with her own items. They ate and drank in silence for a few minutes until Marissa asked. "So what's your story?"

Alison sighed. "Are you looking for the long and painful version or the short recap?"

Marissa let out a laugh. "How about you start out short, and I'll ask any questions I have. I do have to warn you though that I have a habit of being blunt and asking questions that would probably not be considered appropriate."

Alison smiled, but still she hesitated. She would basically be telling her life story to a complete stranger. But she had to admit that she was lonely, and after the last few days of limited interactions with others, she craved a conversation. "I'll take my chances. Alright, so my quick summary is that up until six days ago I was an active member of the G.I. Joe team. I met and fell in love with the XO of the Joes. Even though it was against regulations, our general turned a blind eye against our relationship. Our main adversary was Cobra that we eventually defeated. Because of that our team went into a bit of disarray. A new general transferred in, who didn't take so kindly to our illegal relationship, so we tried to keep it secret. But then I found out I was pregnant a little more than two months ago, so that added a new level to the deception. Our general found out about us two weeks ago, and put us on forced leave. On Thanksgiving Day, we became engaged. We then returned to base this past Monday, and the general informed me I was being discharged. I knew I needed an escape to spend some time thinking, and I randomly chose La Jolla. I learned of your yoga classes from a sign hanging in one of the sandwich shops in town, and I attended my first class the other day. And now, here we are."

Marissa whistled. "I have to admit I am honored that my yoga class made your recap. But it sounds like you've had a hell of a few months."

Alison nodded. "I have."

"So? I know you've only been here a few days, but have you come up with a future plan?"

"Well, I know I'm going to have a baby in five months, and that I should be settled somewhere relatively permanent when that happens, but as to where that is I'm not sure. I also came to the conclusion that I may not have a job at that point. I don't want to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but I've had a fairly easy and charmed upward career trajectory until now. I did work my butt off in college and grad school, and I did make the decision to join the Army, but after that my path was decided by others. I was told what schools I needed to attend, what trainings, and then the next thing I knew I was offered a coveted spot on the Joe team. All without ever composing a resume. So the fact that I have to go job hunting now is a bit overwhelming. Especially since I am carrying obvious baggage."

Alison took a sip of her tea. Now that Marissa got her talking, she felt like the floodgates opened. She was lucky that the yoga instructor seemed like a very patient listener. "But before I can do that I guess I need to figure out what I'm doing with my fiancé." Alison fiddled with her ring. It still surprised her how drastically her feelings towards Flint had changed since he proposed to her Thanksgiving morning. She wished she could recapture that love and feelings of bliss.

"I assume your discharge was due to your affair with the XO?"

Alison nodded. "It is. And I have no one to blame but myself. I knew going into it, that us getting caught and being thrown out of the Army was a very real risk. And I could give you the whole list of excuses we used on why our relationship was justified, but none of it changes the end result."

"How is your fiancé coping? What are his plans for the future?"

Alison gave Marissa a bitter smile. "Now this is where the story gets interesting, because he's still the XO of the Joe team. Our general only gave me my walking papers. So basically, other than the fact that he hasn't been sharing a bed with me the last few days, my beloved is in the exact same position today that he was two weeks ago."

Marissa whistled. "Ouch. That must have been hard to take."

"That's an understatement. When we started our fling, the one thing we promised each other was that if we were ever caught and punished, we would deal with the repercussions together. He reiterated that to me over and over again the last few weeks, as my pregnancy put the proverbial gun to our heads. Even as recently as last week, where we had an interesting but an amazing time together at his family's home in Kansas, he promised me that the Joes were only a career to him and the most important people in his life were me and Junior. But when it came time for him to prove it to me, he stayed quiet. What I think is that once he realized he was going to have to choose between the Joes and I, he at first chose me, but then his sensible side kicked in."

Alison looked down at the remnants of her breakfast. She swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat. "So now you know why I'm in La Jolla taking every yoga class you offer to help me find my inner calm."

"I can understand why. If you don't mind, I'm going to put on my therapist hat, which is my actual job. If you want, we could even take a ride to my office which isn't that far from here."

Alison knew talking to a professional was going to be good for her. But she still couldn't bring herself to okay the idea of getting on the proverbial couch in a therapist's office. She wanted to keep things casual. "No, this is fine."

"Okay, so it sounds like you're suffering from a case of abandonment by both your team and fiancé, which is a very valid reaction. Let me ask you this, would you have felt better about your dismissal if your fiancé had been discharged as well?"

"Honestly, I would. At least then the punishment would seem fair."

"Even though that would mean that your growing family would be in a more precarious situation since both of you would be unemployed?"

Alison bristled at the implication of the question, even though she had long since come to the conclusion that her thoughts were selfish. But she didn't care, as she still felt strongly that Flint should have received a share of the punishment. She also wasn't going to admit to her financial status to a complete stranger so she kept her response vague. "I know I should be thankful that at least one of us has a chance to continue to do what we love. But I'm sorry, I'm not that selfless. We're lucky that we're in a comfortable position that if we had both been discharged, we could have taken some time to navigate a new path in life together."

Alison shook her head. "Every time I think about this, I get so angry. He has told me a number of times that not only could he envision, but was looking forward to, the time that he could enter the civilian sector. He has a brilliant literary mind, and his future plans include teaching at a college or writing novels. If that was really true, then why hasn't he, in a side of solidarity with me, put in his discharge papers?"

"I admit that I don't know all of the rules and regulations of the military, but from what I've seen it's not exactly an organization that lets you come and go as you please. Maybe he's not able to walk away?"

"You're right, that's a very likely possibility. But he didn't even try."

"So, basically, you're upset that he didn't make a meaningless gesture?" Alison glared at her, and Marissa shrugged. "I told you I have a tendency to ask the hard questions."

"It wouldn't have been meaningless. He would have showed that he truly does love me."

"Again, don't take offense, but if that's what it takes for him to prove his devotion, and he hasn't already shown it in your daily life, then your relationship was probably not as solid as you thought it was."

That gave Alison pause. It was a depressing thought, but maybe Marissa was right. However, she had a hard time believing that their relationship had been a farce all along. She flashed on many moments over the last three years, starting from their first mission together. There had been so many times that not only had he expressed his feelings, but she had seen it clearly in his face and demeanor. Other Joes had told her many times over the years how distraught he had been during times she had gone missing or had been in Cobra's hands.

And while it was possible, as it was something that had befallen many couples since the beginning of the time, she did have a hard time believing that Flint would have fallen that out of love with her. Especially with a baby on the way. But that was where she began to have her doubts.

Alison put her head in her hands. "I don't know what I think. I'd like to believe that we were deeply in love. And I could give you a list of examples that prove that. But then I could also rattle off other times when I really questioned his feelings. I spent these last few days wondering if maybe he doesn't love me for myself anymore, but only because I'm carrying his baby."

Marissa nodded. "So he only sees you as a vessel now?"

"Exactly. Do you think that's what he's doing?"

Marissa smiled. "I can't answer that as I don't know him. In fact, you haven't even told me his name yet." Marissa took the last sip of her tea.

Alison gave a shameful smile. She had purposely kept Flint's name out of the conversation as a way of protecting his identity. It was silly since Marissa could just do a bit of research and find out who she was talking about, but old habits die hard. Besides it didn't matter anymore since their affair was now a matter of public record. "His code name is Flint."

Marissa looked down at their empty cups. "How about I get us some refills and you can tell me more about your life with Flint?"

Alison used the time while Marissa was in line to gather her thoughts. When she returned with the two steaming mugs, Alison dove right into her story. She started at the beginning with how she joined the Joe team and met Flint. How they tried to fight their attraction at first, but eventually gave into temptation. She referenced a few memorable missions and how their love deepened over the years. By the time she reached the end with reiterating the events of the last couple of months, they had long since finished their refills. Alison looked up at the clock in the shop, and was embarrassed when she saw that nearly an hour had passed. "That is my much more detailed recap."

Marissa nodded, but remained quiet. Alison figured it was because she was second guessing her decision to voluntarily listen to all of Alison's bullshit. But then she spoke. "I think I was wrong before. Your relationship must be pretty rock solid to survive this ordeal."

Alison waved to the scone shop. "The fact that I'm sitting in here is a pretty good indication that it hasn't actually survived."

"I disagree. You're right that at the moment it may seem like things are over, but I believe that is far from the truth. I think this is just a bump in the road, and at worst case this is a temporary time-out."

Alison laughed. "I'm sorry, but I fail to see how me losing my army career is a mere bump in the road."

"That's because right now you are so immersed in your pity party that you can't see the big picture. Yes, your career did come to a screeching halt. But from what you mentioned, it sounds like the Joe team will be coming to an end soon anyway. And now the two of you are able to stop the lies and secrets and publicly pursue the family life you both want."

Alison was going to argue that life wasn't that easy. But then she stopped herself as she wondered if maybe it was. Marissa made very valid points, so maybe she had gotten too wrapped up in the nuances of the situation to take a step back and look at the situation as a whole. But it still irked her that she was going to be the only one to make such drastic changes.

Marissa proved her worth as an intuitive therapist. "I'm sure you're still hung up on the fact that Flint, for whatever reason, didn't receive an equal punishment. But unless you believe he went behind your back to beg your general to spare his career, you really can't blame him for that."

"Oh no, Flint would never do that. He would never deliberately hurt me like that."

"So you need to stop punishing him for crimes he didn't commit. Maybe the general had valid reasons for deciding the way he did. But even if you're right that you were unfairly punished, that is not Flint's fault. You have to understand that he's probably just trying to do what he can to make sure he can support his growing family. Even if that means working for an asshole."

Alison chuckled. She had heard a similar piece of advice recently. "My good friend and ex-teammate basically told me the same thing."

"She sounds like a smart woman," Marissa said with a smile.

Alison nodded. "She is." Alison let out a sigh. "And theoretically, I understand what you are both saying. I know my feelings are probably irrational, but I can't seem to get past that anger."

Marissa patted Alison's hands. "And that's a valid response. Have you talked to Flint at all the last few days?"

"We talked a couple of times."

"Have you told him how hurt you were that you were the only one punished? How you want him to resign?"

Alison shook her head. "No. Our conversations never got that far. Usually we end up arguing over other matters. Which is why I also wonder if that's another sign that our relationship isn't as strong as I thought."

"I wouldn't jump to that just yet. You're both very stressed and hurt, and little things can easily be blown out of proportion. My recommendation is to take a few hours and really talk. Do it somewhere where you're both comfortable. Go home to your apartment, or have him come out here. You need to tell him everything you told me. And then listen to what he has to say. I'm sure you'll see that you're both on the same page, and it's just the difficulties of life getting in the way."

Alison hoped that Marissa was right. She looked around the café and noticed that most of the patrons had left. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you so long."

"Really, it's fine." Marissa replied with a smile.

"I appreciate your politeness, but it's the first Sunday of December. I'm sure you have a million things to do to get ready for the holidays."

"Actually, not really. My kids have been out of the house for a couple of years now, so I don't need to do the whole Santa routine. Maybe one day, if I'm blessed with grandkids. And since I'm fairly certain that my husband's New Year's resolution is going to be asking for a divorce, I'm kind of looking for excuses to keep me away from home on weekends."

Alison did a poor job of hiding her surprise. Marissa laughed. "But please don't let that tidbit about me negate the advice I gave you this morning. I really am good at what I do, I just have a hard time following my own advice."

"Okay, but at least give me your bill for your time."

Marissa stood up. "Stop it, I'm not going to charge you for this." She reached into her purse. "But here is my card. I'm going to assume you won't be attending my next class, so I'd like you to at least give me a call and let me know how it all works out."

Alison took it. "I promise, I will. It's the least I could do."

Alison left the scone shop and then spent a few moments debating her next move. She had to admit that Marissa's talk gave her a strong desire to talk to Flint. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to call him first, or is she just wanted to leave and make the long drive back. She realized that at that moment she didn't have the energy for either.

It was a beautiful afternoon. The cold front that had come through the other day had luckily been brief. Since the temperatures had warmed up again she didn't want to be cooped up in her hotel room. So she decided that before she made any contact with Flint, she wanted to spend a little while longer in thought, and the beach seemed like a perfect place to do it. She went back into her room to change into a bathing suit. It really accentuated her belly that had seemed to have grown fairly significantly since she left Kansas. She rubbed at it and smiled. After all those weeks of wanting to hide it, she was now happy that she got a chance to flaunt it.

She packed a few things into her bag, and then walked to the beach. She draped a blanket in the sand, which she then laid on top of. She thought her mind would be full of thoughts based on her conversation with Marissa, but she quickly saw that the opposite was true. Instead, it seemed like her mind was spent, and she couldn't focus on anything of importance. But that was fine, as that seemed to calm her further. By the time she packed up to leave, she had come to the decision that she was going to call Flint to give him the heads up that she was coming home, and then she would spend one last night in La Jolla before she left in the morning.

She called Flint as soon as she entered her room. However, she only got his voicemail. She was going to hang up to see if she could hunt him down at his office in Joe HQ, but she quickly dismissed that idea. If he was at his desk on a Sunday, he was probably working, and if he wasn't she didn't want to have to go through Dial-Tone and/or Mainframe to find him. So she left a brief upbeat message that she was coming back, and that she should be at the apartment by late afternoon the following day.

After she hung up she realized that the message was the best way to go. She was fairly sure she was in a better frame of mind, but she was still afraid that if she talked to Flint on the phone he was going to say something to set her off again. Not that a face to face discussion would avoid that possibility, but she figured that way she would be more likely to remain calm. She turned off her phone, and then turned her attention to packing.


	38. Chapter 38

The ringing phone jolted Alison from her sleep. She looked at the clock and saw it was only a few minutes past five AM. As she stumbled around the room, she berated herself for how undisciplined she had become. It hadn't been that long ago when getting up at five for PT was the norm, and now she couldn't even get herself coherent enough to find her phone.

It was another unknown number so she wondered if Scarlett was calling her back. "Hello?" she asked with a croak.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" a semi-familiar voice asked.

"Yes. It's pretty early here," she answered. She was just about to ask who was calling her, when her half-asleep mind finally figured out who it was. "Is this Hawk?"

"It is. I apologize for the early morning wake-up call. I've been at my desk for a couple of hours now, so I just assumed everyone else was also up and running."

Alison chuckled. "Normally, I would be, but I let myself get slack the last couple of weeks."

"Well, hopefully the result of this phone call will give you the motivation to get back on schedule. I actually tried calling you a few days ago, but you didn't answer. I'm assuming you didn't get my message?"

Alison cringed. He must have been one of the many voice mails she had ignored at the beginning of her trip. "I'm sorry, sir, I went off the grid for a while."

"That's understandable," Hawk said simply. "I called Flint over the weekend to check up on the two of you, and he told me you were taking a little vacation. Anyway, I'm calling to find out if you still want the job here at the Pentagon."

Alison blinked and then pulled the phone away from her ear. She was half convinced that she was still asleep and that the current conversation was only a dream. "But sir, General Bradshaw fired me."

"I'm aware of that. And I have to say I'm truly sorry that happened. But that doesn't change my offer. I know it was originally meant to be filled by a Joe, but it's not a requirement. To be honest, since I knew I'd rather have you as a civilian than to find someone lesser qualified that was still in the military, I looked into what it would take to still offer you the job. If you're willing to come on board the only thing that is stopping you is a stack of paperwork."

Accepting the job seemed like a no-brainer. And there was a part of her that wanted to open her mouth to officially accept it, but she stopped herself. If she had any chance at making her future with Flint work, she needed to run this by him. He hadn't been thrilled when she first told him about the offer, but so much had changed since then. She wasn't necessarily looking for his permission, but she should at least speak to him first. "Sir, I can't even express how much this means to me. And I do really want to accept your offer, but I need to talk to Flint before I officially say yes."

"I understand, and I expected as much. But I do need to know in the next seventy-two hours, whether you are accepting it or not. I know you have some personal matters to work out, so I am somewhat flexible as far as a start date. We need some time on this end to get everything set up, and with the holidays coming up it makes sense to report after the New Year. Plus, I know you will require a maternity leave. These are all matters that can be worked out in the package that will be officially offered to you once you decide to accept the job."

"Sir, again, this is all very generous, and I am extremely appreciative of this."

"You don't need to thank me. You were one of the best intelligence agents I have ever come across in my career. It would be ludicrous to let that kind of talent go to waste."

Alison again thanked the general and told him he should have his answer in the next day or two. She then hung up the phone and grinned. It was very early and still dark out, but Alison knew sleep was not going to be coming her again that morning. So she decided to get on the road.

After she checked out, she got into her car and made her way to the interstate. She had debated stopping for breakfast, but she decided to wait another hour or two. She was too excited to eat. She knew in her heart she was going to take the job. And she was going to talk to Flint about wrapping up his career with the Joes and coming with her to Washington DC. It seemed like the perfect scenario for them. She figured it would be no problem for Flint to find a new job. Maybe Hawk would have a use for him as well. But if not, he could find another position in the Pentagon. Or if he wanted to leave the military totally, he could pursue a career at one of the universities, or even forgo any kind of desk job and try his hand at writing. They could both be working at jobs with regular hours doing what they loved.

Alison smiled. For the first time in a very long time, she had a clear and happy plan for the future.

* * *

For the third time since leaving HQ Flint forced himself to lay off the gas pedal. He had every intention of leaving an hour earlier, but as was typical, one after another minor emergency delayed his departure. A new mission that Flint needed to lead was in the works. After his talk with General Bradshaw, Flint had tried to be on his best behavior. Now that he was committed to staying with the Joe team, he wanted to regain the General's trust. So while he was anxious to get to the apartment he needed to take care of all the loose ends first. At least he left fairly secure in the knowledge that he shouldn't be disturbed the rest of the evening.

Ever since he had received Alison's message the previous day, he had counted down the minutes until this afternoon. He tried to keep his optimism in check. They did not leave off at a good place at the end of their phone call the other night, but if she was coming home, that had to be a least a step in the right direction. If nothing else, he figured they would be better off talking in person as opposed to on the phone.

He had tried to call her back, but his call went right into voice mail. So he didn't get a chance to talk to her to get any kind of hint at to her frame of mind. He had more questions once he had received Hawk's call early that morning. The general had said he had called her a few days prior, and that it was odd that she had never returned his call, so he was looking to see if Flint had a way to get in touch with her.

Flint kept the details vague, but did tell him that his best bet was to try her cell phone again. He wondered what Hawk wanted, and if it was at all related to Alison's change of heart. Hawk could have been following up on the Washington position, or he could simply have heard the news and was checking up on a former subordinate.

As he pulled into the apartment complex, he figured he would have the answers shortly. His hand went out to steady the vase of flowers. It wasn't much, but he hoped Alison would appreciate the small gesture. He planned on putting them on the dining room table so they would be the first thing she saw as she walked through the door. But as he approached the apartment, and saw her car he realized he was too late.

He cursed as he realized he didn't get his chance to clean up the apartment. But then the excitement of seeing her kicked in, and he raced through the front door. "Alison?" he called out. He put the vase down and picked a single rose that he handed to her after she came out of the bedroom.

She smiled first at the flower and then at him. She hesitated only a moment before she opened her arms to him. A week's worth of frustration, worry and sadness disappeared as he took her into his arms. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm happy to be back," Alison said. She gave him another squeeze and then stepped back.

Flint tried to ignore their awkwardness. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I didn't think you were coming until a little later this afternoon."

"No, it's okay. I am early. I had an unexpected early morning wake-up call so I was able to get on the road a lot sooner than I had planned on."

"And the drive was okay?" The small talk was tedious, but he was trying to stall delving into any deeper issues.

Alison, however, apparently had a different game plan. "Yes, it was fine. Dash, listen, we have a lot to catch up on, but before all that I have some good news I want to share." She smiled, and for the first time in weeks she actually looked happy.

Flint couldn't help but smile in return. "What is it?"

"Hawk called me this morning. He's still offering me the Washington job."

"Really?" Flint asked as his mind began to process the various implications.

"I know. I couldn't believe it either. I thought maybe he hadn't heard about my discharge, but of course he knew about it. He said that ideally he would have liked the option to send me back to the Joes if needed, but it wasn't a deal breaker. He actually flattered me by saying my experience and intelligence background was more of an asset, and he wanted that over someone that was still active duty."

Despite a lingering suspicion that this wasn't going to end well for them, he was happy for Alison. This was a huge step in restoring her self esteem and career. "Oh, Al, that is great news. You deserve this."

"Thanks. Not only is this a great opportunity for me, but I think this is what we needed as well. I meant what I said in my message last night that I was ready to work on a fresh start for us. I had a very long and therapeutic talk yesterday with a wonderful and patient woman. She helped me put into perspective what happened with the Joes. She agreed it wasn't fair, but it's not something I should blame you for. I knew she was right, so that's when I called you to tell you I was coming home. But I assumed I was going to have to put my career on hold for the time being. I admit that was the one sticking point I had, but I was willing to try and work past it. And then I got the call from Hawk, and I realize I didn't have to put my life on hold."

"Your life is far from on hold. You're getting married and having a baby, so I think it's actually moving along at a pretty good clip."

"I know. And I am excited for that part of my future. But the Joe team had become basically my whole life so I needed to find a way to recover from that."

It was just about everything Flint had hoped he would hear from her. He knew their personal problems were only superficial and due to the unfortunate and drastic way her career ended. However, while she was thrilled over the Pentagon job offer, Flint was far from it. He didn't see it as the magical solution that she did. Having Alison come back was a huge step in the right direction for them, but they still needed to work through their issues that had become apparent the last week. Maybe this was the magical solution, and they would go back to whatever normal was for them, but he didn't see how that would happen if she was in DC, and he in Arizona.

If Alison noticed that he seemed less enthusiastic, she didn't show it. She continued on. "You said you can envision a life for yourself outside the Joes, so I think you should come with me to DC. There are plenty of job opportunities at the Pentagon, or at Georgetown or another local college."

Flint took a couple of steps back as he rubbed his hand on his temple. Now he understood why she was so excited. She didn't know about the talk he had with General Bradshaw, and how he wasn't free to up and move. So it seemed his earlier intuition had been correct and he was afraid this was going to end very badly. "Alison, that sounds wonderful, and you're right that would be the perfect plan for us. Which is why it's going to kill me to say this, but I can't quit the Joes."

"Why not? On the drive back, I did the math, and you not only completed your tour, but you have enough years in to ask for a discharge."

"I know. But it's more complicated than that."

Alison laughed sarcastically. "It really isn't. What about everything that you said in Kansas? How you were ready to move on to a civilian life?"

"No. I meant it at the time. I just didn't realize there were other factors in play."

"What factors?" Alison asked in exasperation.

Flint hesitated as he debated how much he should tell her about his resignation attempt. He couldn't betray Duke and reveal how injured he still was. Flint also assumed that if he mentioned any of General Bradshaw's thoughts on the matter, she would become blinded by rage. But he still had to tell her something. She needed to know he at least tried. "The Joe team is in a precarious position. I'm not saying it's never going to happen. But right now they need me as XO. So my resignation request was basically denied."

"You really tried to quit the team?"

Flint felt a glimmer of hope. "I did. I can show you the letter I wrote up."

"So then what do you mean that it was 'basically denied'?"

Flint again carefully chose his answer. He could have taken the easy way out and claim that he misspoke. That might save him heartache in the short term. But if they were truly going to move forward with their lives together, she needed to be on board with his decision to stay with the Joes. "Alison, I can't go into details without betraying confidences. But I need you to believe me that based on information I received the other day that it would be disastrous for the Joes if I walked away."

A mixture of sadness and disappointment flashed on her face. "So what you're saying is that you were given the choice?"

Flint frowned as he nodded. "In reality it wasn't much of a choice since the Joe team's fate was in my hands."

Alison stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. Flint could see the hurt and betrayal in her eyes, so he went to her and grabbed her arms. "Alison, I'm really sorry. I wish I could do this for you. But I made a commitment to the Joe team, and I need to stand by that."

Alison scoffed as she brought her left hand up. "You also made a commitment to me. Or at least the promise of a commitment."

"Al, I know." He pulled her against him for a hug. She was tense, but she didn't fight him on it. "And I intend to stand by that one as well. The important thing is that you're back again, and willing to work things out. So we're going to figure this out."

"Apparently you already made your decision. So what's left to figure out?"

"You still have options," Flint began but she abruptly pulled out of his grasp.

"I hope this isn't your segue into telling me I need to turn down the DC job."

"No, I wouldn't do that. It's still your decision to make," Flint ran his hand through his hair. "I do though, just want to talk about it to make sure it's the best course of action for our family. But we don't need to make any hard and fast decisions right now. Why don't we take a drive somewhere and find something fun to do first?"

Alison shook her head as she began to pace around the room. "No. My life has been on hold the last two weeks, and in reality since the moment General Bradshaw landed on the Joe tarmac. I'm tired of worrying about my future, so I want this resolved now."

Flint could see her point but he still didn't like the idea of rushing into a decision. However, any more stalling would set her off so he led her to the couch. Once they were seated, Alison turned to him. Flint expected her to launch into a tirade but she remained quiet. It was a good sign that she may be willing to hear him out. "Alison, I meant it when I said the DC offer is great news. Not only does it show how much Hawk respects you, but it should also prove how valuable your skills are. General Bradshaw was a fool to let you go."

Alison exhaled sharply as her head dropped. Flint put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head. "You've shown me time and time again that you could do anything you put your mind to. That's one of the things I love about you, how hard you fight for the things you want." Flint sighed. "And I hope I'm still on that list."

"You are," Alison said quietly. "I want us to have a happy life together with Junior. But how can we do that if you're busy with the Joes here, and I'm in DC?"

"That's why I want us to talk. Maybe you going to DC right now isn't the best idea."

Alison's demeanor changed in an instant. She let out a bitter laugh. "Wow, you really are unbelievable. And to think Marissa convinced me that I was just misreading your actions, and that you aren't actually a selfish son of a bitch."

"No, the opposite is true. I think for the first time in weeks I'm making decision selflessly. The one thing I've learned after talking to my father and even General Bradshaw is that I have to stop putting my wants first. Creating a stable and loving environment for Junior amid our current commitments should be our number one priority."

Alison crossed her arms. "Okay, I'll bite. How do you suggest doing that?"

"Honestly? I think you need to take a few months off." Alison began to balk, but this time he waved her off. "No, hear me out. Alison, think about all of the stress you've been under. You said yourself the trip to La Jolla was beneficial to both you and Junior. We both know we can financially afford to not have you go back to work right away. Ask Hawk if you could start six months or a year from now to give yourself time to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, and so we can properly plan for our baby's arrival."

Alison stood up and began to pace. "After what Hawk's done for me, I can't go back to him and ask him to hold my job open for six months. And quite frankly, even if that was a possibility I wouldn't want to. I've been going stir crazy these last two weeks, so the last thing I want to do is continue to sit around and do nothing." She stopped and muttered under her breath in a language Flint couldn't understand. She shook her head and faced him. "I have a question for you. If you wanted to marry a homemaker, why the hell did you ever hook up with me?"

Despite his feeling that the conversation was going to get ugly, Flint was still surprised at how quickly it spun out of control. He went to her side. "No, that's not what I want. And give me a little bit of credit, I'm not that selfish or that big of a prick that thinks you need to give up everything. All I'm asking is that before you automatically agree to take the job that we research all of our options for first. Maybe Hawk would be okay with you working out of the Joe HQ?"

Alison laughed. "Right. Because General Bradshaw is such a big fan of mine, that he will okay that scenario. And why is it that we have to research only my options? How about we go back to the fact that despite there being dozens of Joes, you are apparently the only one critical to the team?"

"Look, I know it sounds ridiculous, but General Bradshaw," Flint began but Alison cut him off.

"Stop right there. I don't want to hear whatever bullshit the general is spouting. The fact that you're right back to being his cheerleader says enough to me. So I'm going to make myself perfectly clear. Sitting around all day waiting for you to come home from your job with the Joes is not an option. So do you have any other suggestions?"

"Specific ones right now? No, not exactly. But what I'm trying to get you to understand is that Hawk's offer is not your only shot at career satisfaction. We're within commuting distance of one of the largest cities in America. I'm sure they have some kind of job market."

Alison wrapped her arms around her chest. "I'm sure they do too. But to be honest, I don't want to pursue any of them. You may be right that this won't be my only offer, but it's an amazing one. I'd be stupid to pass it up. And I'm tired of being the only one to sacrifice things for this relationship. So I'm taking the job."

Flint sighed. "So then what does that mean for us? We try to make a long distance relationship work?"

Alison's shoulders sagged. "I don't know."

The tenuous grip that Flint had been keeping on his anger began to loosen. He knew that blowing up was only going to seal his fate, but the fact that Alison was ready to walk away from him, taking all that he loved with her, infuriated him. "So what are you saying? That's it? You're ending our relationship because you didn't get your way? And you're accusing me of being selfish?"

She again shot him a look of anger. "Haven't you been saying that I need to start doing what's best for Junior? And that all this stress isn't good for either one of us? Well, I agree with you. And now that my career issues are resolved, my only source of stress is you."

Flint staggered back. For the second time that week, Flint felt his heart being broken. But he was afraid this time it was permanent. He blinked away the wetness that formed in his eyes. "Alison, I love you."

She too wiped at her eyes. "Do you? You once told me that you would do anything to keep from losing me. I wonder now if that was just words that you didn't actually mean. I don't want to make it seem like I am giving you an ultimatum, that it's either the Joes or me but," she trailed off and looked down at the floor. "I guess I am."

"Alison, don't do this to me. If I was in a position where I could walk away, I would absolutely choose you. But I swear, my hands are tied right now. Please, give me a little time. Things might change over the next few months."

"I'm sorry, but that's not good enough. I know I'm being hypocritical, but I don't think you understand how much General Bradshaw's decision hurt me. I always knew that losing our jobs was a risk we took when we started our relationship. But whenever I think about how your job was spared while mine was lost, I get so angry. Add to that the fact that you then made a conscious decision to keep your position without consulting me only adds fuel to the fire. So I'm afraid that you continuing to work for the Joes will be a constant reminder of everything I was forced to give up for you."

Flint's head sagged as he realized he didn't have a counter-argument. Alison put her hand on her abdomen and continued. "I'm running out of time before this one arrives, and I want to get as settled as I can before then. I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of paperwork that I will need to take care of before I can go to DC, so I'll probably be here a few days. Dash, the one thing I do want is for you to be as active a part of Junior's life as you can. So before I leave, I'd like to try and come to some kind of custody agreement. I think it would be better to handle that sooner as opposed to later."

Flint thought he had hit rock bottom, but he was quickly realizing he was only scratching the surface of his despair. The fact that Alison wanted to sign papers for shared custody met she was very serious about ending things. He was so lost in his negative thoughts, that he didn't even realized she had continued talking. "I'm sorry, what?"

Alison sighed. "I said that I'm going to head back to a hotel. Luckily, I didn't unpack."

"No, you've been on the road this whole time. Stay here. I'll spend the night at Joe HQ." Flint turned to leave, but stopped as he felt he needed to make one more plea. "Alison, please take the night to think this over. Maybe we can meet again in the morning, to keep talking about this."

"Dash, I don't think so. I've done too much thinking and talking about this already, that I'm not going to change my mind. I can't keep hurting myself like this, so," she took a quick gasp and for a brief moment Flint thought something was wrong. But then she broke into a sob. "I love you, I really do. But it seems like lately all we do is fight, and as I said before that isn't good for any of us. So I need to make this break."

Despite everything she had just said, Flint felt the need to console her. He went to her and wrapped her into his arms. For a brief moment she collapsed against him as the two cried together, but then she pushed him away. "You have to go."

Flint didn't want to, but he knew he had to. He took a step towards the front door, but she stopped him. He had a brief spark of hope until he watched her pull her ring off his finger. He inhaled sharply as he felt another knife pierce his heart. She handed it to him but he closed her fist around it. "No, Alison. Please, keep it. I want you to have it as a reminder of our good times."

That started her tears anew. "Dash, I'm always going to have that reminder," she whispered as she rubbed her stomach. She gave him the ring and Flint finally left.


	39. Chapter 39

Flint left the apartment and drove around aimlessly. He did not want to head back to Joe HQ, but he didn't know where he wanted to go. A big part of him wanted to find a bar so he could drown away his sorrows, but his responsible side was preventing himself from doing that. He just assumed his night would end in an even worse way. So he compromised and headed to one of the chain restaurants that he liked. At least he could try to fool himself into thinking he was going for dinner with a side of alcohol, as opposed to it being the main and only course.

It was still early for dinner , so he had no problem finding a seat at one of the two person high top tables in the bar area. He wasn't actually that hungry, but he knew he needed something to soak up any alcohol. So he ordered a couple of appetizers and a beer.

As luck would have it, the restaurant was once again hosting a trivia night. It brought up a flood of memories for Flint, as he thought back to the last time he had taken Alison there after the blow-up they had before her Greek mission. He figured that had probably been the beginning of the end for them, and that the news of the baby had only delayed the inevitable.

His food came, and he only picked at it as his mind continued to dwell on his depressing thoughts. The bar had become quite crowded, and he was getting annoyed at the individual on his left side who kept invading his personal space. Until he turned to bark at the person, and realized it was actually a fairly attractive woman. Flint saw that she was struggling to balance her glass of wine and write the answers to the trivia contest on a pad of paper at the same time. "Excuse me, do you want to use the other half of my table?"

"That would be great," she said with a smile. "One of my friends usually gets here early to get a table, but I had two cancel on me, and it looks like the third is either running really late, or has bailed on me as well."

Flint just nodded. While he did a nice deed for her, he still wasn't in the mood to chat. But at least her presence took his mind off his problems. He actually paid attention to the questions being asked, and then surreptitiously checked her answers. He was impressed with her knowledge, as they all seemed to be correct. All but the last one. Flint leaned closer to her. "No, number six is wrong."

The woman frowned. "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it is Don Juan."

Flint grinned. "Believe me, I spent a whole semester at Oxford studying Lord Byron. I know for a fact the first example of a Byronic hero is Childe Harold."

"Okay. I'll take your word for it." She erased her answer and wrote in the correct one. "Let me turn this in. Can you hold my seat?"

"Sure." Flint said as he watched her walk away. He knew the smart call was to get the check and pass along his table. But the idea of going back to HQ to mope about the disaster his life had become was unappealing.

She returned a few seconds later. "My name is Sarah, by the way. I'm thinking if we're going to share a table and a trivia scorecard, we should at least know each other's names."

"Dash," Flint replied and he stuck his hand out.

She shook it with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

The emcee announced the answers to the round and Sarah whistled when she saw that Flint had been correct on the final answer. "Thanks for the help." She then whooped and hollered when she heard her name announced as the current leader. She gave him a high five.

The next few rounds passed quickly, and once the game was over Sarah turned to Flint and asked, "Do you want to stay and order a real dinner?"

If Flint was honest with himself, he did. He had spent the last hour and a half having fun, and for the first time in a week he wasn't mired in his miserable future with, or technically without, Alison. And not that he thought that Sarah would suggest anything more that an interesting conversation during a meal, but if she did he knew that based on the way he felt at the moment he would take up any offer of intimacy. And that would be the final nail in the coffin of his relationship with Alison.

"No, I should go. I have a fiancée," Flint paused as he realized that technically wasn't true anymore. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Anyway, we're in a really bad place right now. But I still love her and…"

Sarah nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, I know what that's like. I'm sorry to hear that. Just to throw this out there, I'm here for almost every trivia night. If you guys make up and want to join a team, come back one night. And if you don't, well, I'll be here to buy you a drink."

Flint then awkwardly thanked her for her time and left. As he drove back to HQ, he tried to decide how he felt about Sarah's offer. His ego was pleased with the fact that he could pick up a woman fairly easily. But the fact that he was actually giving thought to hooking up with another woman when his relationship with Alison was barely officially over, made him wonder just how big of an asshole he was.

He tried to console himself with the idea that he was just looking for a distraction. He wasn't ready to give a lot of thought to a life without Alison. Even though it was probably all he thought about the last week, he had still held on to the hope that they weren't truly finished as a couple. But the fact that she said she wanted to figure out a plan for shared custody of Junior meant she was truly done.

And that was an even more depressing thought. The idea that he wasn't going to be involved full-time in the raising of his child made him feel like a bigger failure. He knew that he was far from the only man to ever have to share custody of a child, as he and his mom over the holiday had hashed through a list of friends and acquaintances that were going through it as well. But at least they had started out with a marriage that had eventually failed. Flint hadn't even gotten that far.

And what kind of custody arrangement could he even agree to? With his schedule, he couldn't exactly commit to a one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plan. Plus, with Alison moving a couple thousand miles away, the travel time alone would cut into any kind of visitation. He would probably be better off stacking up leave time and shooting for a few weeks together once or twice a year. So that meant at best case he would get to spend a month, or a month and a half out of every year with Junior. He would then have to rely on Alison and any future boyfriend or husband to raise his child.

Flint had no doubt that Alison would find someone new, as she was smart, attractive and sexy. The idea of someone else getting to be with her was infuriating enough, but then he flashed on an image of the mythical man tossing around a ball with his son and Flint hit a new high on his rage level.

He pulled into the underground parking garage of Joe HQ. He paused a moment as he debated where to go. He needed to blow off some steam. The idea of heading back to his room and running into Beachhead was out of the question. Which meant that also ruled out his office. Every other room was too public, and he didn't want any other company. So he decided to head outside, to the back of HQ, and to the firing range.

It was a nice night, although a little on the cooler side, and that had apparently kept the majority of the Joes inside. Flint heard the sounds of a pick-up basketball game going on at the courts, but he was able to avoid any of the other Joes.

As he walked out to the range, he looked up into the nighttime sky. It was hard to believe that it had been less than two weeks earlier that he had taken Alison out to the backyard of his parent's house, and showed his love to her in the most passionate and romantic way. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her ring. He swallowed against the lump that formed in his throat. It was hard to believe how quickly things had unraveled since then.

Even though his earlier anger had faded into a deep sadness, he still wanted to blow off some steam. His first stop was to the weapons shed. It was locked for the night, but he had the key. His standard shotgun was back in his room, but he found an adequate substitute.

He set up a new target, and fired off a few quick shots. His aim was terrible. So he cleared his mind, and focused on the mark. The next few shots were much more on target. He set himself up for another round of shooting, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Duke.

"I was wondering who was the asshole that was on the firing range after hours."

Flint fired off a couple of shots. Then he brought the gun down. "I'd apologize, but I don't really give a shit."

Duke stared at him. "I'm going to venture a guess that since you are back here, that things didn't go well today?"

Flint sighed. "It's officially over. I thought we were going to patch things up, but I was wrong. She's moving to DC to work with Hawk and the others. Before she leaves, she needs to take care of some paperwork and she wants to figure out a custody agreement with me."

"Shit, Flint, I'm sorry. I knew she was upset, but I figured after a few days she'd come around. With the baby coming, I thought you would find a way to make it work."

Duke's attitude was pissing him off, especially considering the circumstances. "You and me both. I made the mistake thinking that I was going to have a conversation with a reasonable person. But it was pretty clear that wasn't the case when she told me that my very existence was stressing her out."

"Flint, you have to be patient with her," Duke began but Flint cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. She got a raw deal, and I'm sure the pregnancy hormones aren't helping her frame of mind. So I'm willing to do almost anything to help her, but she wants the one thing I can't give her. She was hoping I would follow her to DC. Unfortunately, though, I have responsibilities here that I can't walk away from. And that, apparently, is the absolute deal breaker for her."

Duke stared at Flint, and waited a few moments before responding. "I think maybe you should talk to somebody. I have the name of a guy. He was actually on the short list to join the Joes before they put the hiring freeze on."

Flint whipped around to face Duke. "God damn it. Alison only gave me my walking papers a couple of hours ago. Can I take this evening to wallow in my anger and self pity? And then I promise that I'll be good to go. I'll even make you a deal. If in thirty six hours you think that I'm still unfit to lead the Mexican mission, you can order me to see whoever you want."

The two stayed quiet for a few moments. However, Flint couldn't keep his bitterness in check for long. "Look at us. A few months ago we were kings of the world. We helped lead this team into victory against Cobra. We had the respect of our teammates and the love of a beautiful and smart woman. Now we're spinning our wheels chasing after ghosts of our pasts, a good chunk of our team thinks we sold out to the new leadership, and those women we love? They can't stand the sight of us."

Duke mumbled a few choice words under his breath. "You at least tried to bask in your glory. I was too busy wallowing in my self-pity thanks to my injury to really appreciate how good I had it. And you have a bright spot in your future. Despite all that happened with Alison, that doesn't change the fact that you're going to be a father."

This time it was Flint that muttered the curses. "What the hell kind of father can I be? He's going to be thousands of miles away from me, so I'll be lucky to see him a few times a year."

"Him? You know it's a boy?"

Flint shook his head. "No, it's just wishful thinking. We've both tried to remain gender neutral when talking about Junior, but sometimes I slip. That reminds me, her ultrasound is at the end of the week. Even if she wants me there, the Mexican mission will probably interfere. I'm sure that will only add to her list of grievances against me."

"Flint, you really should pass on this mission. Your head's not in the right place and no one will blame you if you want to take a few days to get yourself together."

"I'm sure Bradshaw will. I'm already on a slippery slope with him, and if I can't do right by my family, I should at least do right by the Joes. Besides, who will take my place? Falcon's still not ready, Beachhead is busy with his transfer, and…"

"I'm a waste," Duke finished for him.

"I wasn't going to say it that way."

"I appreciate that. But it's still the truth." Duke sighed. He took the gun from Flint's hands and fired off a few shots of his own.

Flint watched for a few moments in silence. He couldn't help but notice the grimace of pain Duke had each time the gun recoiled. Thinking back over General Bradshaw's comments about Duke's health, Flint decided it was time to stop selfishly focusing on only his problems. "Con, how are you?"

"Me? I'm fine," Duke answered quickly. He fired off one more shot before he lowered the gun. He then studied Flint for a moment. "Are you being polite or are you really asking?"

"I'm really asking," Flint answered.

"You want to know the truth? I'm a mess. A simple act of firing off this weapon brings pain to my chest. If I try to run more than two miles, or anything resembling a decent pace my heart rate goes through the roof. I've taken so many pain pills the last few months, that I'm sure I'm addicted. But the idea of cutting back on them makes me break out in a cold sweat.

"And that's just my physical problems. I think mentally, I'm worse. I hate this limbo I'm living in. I'm not so bad that I know I need to quit. But I also know I can't pull my own weight around here. I gave myself a deadline of one year after the attack to either shit or get off the pot. So in the meantime I've going to be a miserable, frustrated son of a bitch disgusted with himself."

Even now that he knew Duke had issues, Flint was surprised at how bitter the First Sergeant had become. "You need to cut yourself some slack. Sure you're still hurting, but the recovery will take time. You're lucky to be alive."

"Am I? There have been many days that I wonder if everyone would have been better off if Serpentor had just killed me."

Flint scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I can rattle off the names of dozens of people that thank God every day you survived."

Duke let out a bitter laugh. "Is Scarlett on that list?" Before Flint could respond, Duke continued. "I know, that's harsh. I truly hope she doesn't hate me that much. But I'm sure she's regretting most of what happened these last few months."

"I think we're all regretting our actions of the last few months."

Duke walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "It's not easy making the tough call for the good of the team. I'd like to tell you it's worth it, but I'm struggling to convince myself that's true."

Flint dropped his head. He had spent the most recent past mentally criticizing Duke for his many missteps with Scarlett. Each man had chosen a different path in how they handled the arrival of General Bradshaw and the threat he posed to their relationships. Neither one had agreed with the other's choice, but in the end they both had found themselves saying goodbye to the woman they love.

Duke gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Knock off this shooting gallery before the general hits you with a noise complaint." Duke turned to leave but hesitated a moment. "Alison still owes me her signature on a stack of paper. When she comes by to take care of it, I'll try and talk to her."

Flint mumbled a thank-you as Duke walked away. He doubted that would do any good, but he was willing to try anything.


	40. Chapter 40

Alison tried to stifle her yawn as she drove to HQ. It had been a long and emotional night. From the moment the door had closed behind Flint the previous night, she had mourned the death of their relationship. Despite the fact that she told him she needed to move on, she realized she still loved him. She had been so upset, that she had started to second guess her actions. Especially as the idea of being a single mother terrified her. But then she started to rehash through all of Flint's actions and non-actions of the last few weeks. She realized she was still so bitter and disappointed in him that the alternative didn't seem any better. So while it was painful, at least now she could start to take the steps to get her life back on track.

Number one on her list was closing out the chapter on her G.I. Joe career. That too was going to be long and painful, and after her sleepless night she had debated postponing it a day. But that would have meant spending more time alone with her thoughts, so she figured it was better to just head to HQ to get it over with.

She pulled up to the gate and recognized the guard on duty. "Good morning, Charles," she said with a forced smile as she reached for her ID. But then she paused as she came to the realization that it probably wasn't valid anymore. Keeping the fake smile on her face, she handed Charles the ID and hoped that it would pass.

But luck continued to not be on her side. Charles frowned as he looked at his scanner. "I'm sorry, Miss Hart-Burnett, but your ID is being denied."

Alison sighed. "I was afraid of that. I was discharged last week. But I need to get on base to meet with General Bradshaw and Duke to finish my paperwork."

"I'm sorry to hear that. And if it was up to me, I would let you through. But I'm afraid I have to follow protocol. I can't let you enter by yourself, but I can call over to the general or the first sergeant, and have one of them come meet you here to bring you on base."

The last thing Alison wanted was to have General Bradshaw pick her up to escort her on base. While Duke was a better option, she still didn't want to see the pity in his eyes as he came to pick her up. "Thanks Charles, but I'll pull to the side and see if one of the other Joes can come get me."

She parked at the side of the gate and ran through her list of options. The most logical choice was Flint, but she wanted to try to get through the day without seeing him. As she scrolled through the rest of the Joe list, and discarded each teammate and friend for one reason or the other, Alison wondered if she was just better off heading back to the apartment.

But then she heard a car approach, and as she looked out the window she recognized Ace at the wheel. She swallowed her pride, got out of the car and waved him down. "Good morning," Alison said once he stopped his car and rolled down the window. "Can I get a ride on to the base with you? My ID's not good anymore."

The look of pity that Alison was dreading flashed on Ace's face. "Sure, hop in."

Charles waved them through. To preempt any questions about her situation, Alison turned to Ace and said, "You're out awfully early this morning."

"Actually, I'm still out from last night," Ace answered with a grin.

Alison too smiled. "Is this the same girl you were thinking about proposing to?"

"It is," Ace answered. "But don't sit by your mailbox waiting for a wedding invitation. We had a good long talk the other day and we came to the realization that neither one of us is quite ready for a marriage."

Ace pulled into a parking spot and the two got out of the car. Alison thanked him for the ride, and turned to leave but Ace stopped her by calling out, "Lady Jaye, wait." The use of her code name threatened to unhinge her fragile mindset. She swallowed against the growing lump in her throat, and kept her back to him so he couldn't see how upset she was.

"I just want to say I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm going to miss seeing you around here."

Alison nodded and mumbled out a thank you. She was suddenly exhausted, and she raced to her room. On the way there she had the terrible thought that either she was also going to be locked out of her room, or she would find that all of her stuff was packed up. But for the first time something went her way, as not only was she able to go into her room, it was exactly as she had left it the week before.

She collapsed onto her bed. She was too tired to cry, and soon she had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. She woke a couple of hours later feeling better. She wasn't totally refreshed, but she felt that she had a better handle on her emotions. To further help her mindset she performed a few of the yoga stretches and positions she had learned from Marissa. Once she was done, she was ready to tackle her to-do list.

Her first stop was the records department to get the ball rolling on her paperwork. Once that was completed she decided to tackle what she assumed was going to be the emotionally easier of the packing tasks, her desk as opposed to her room. She went out behind the cafeteria to grab a couple of boxes and then she headed to her office. As she started to sort through the drawers, she realized she had underestimated how many mementos she had stored away.

One drawer in particular held a stack of after mission reports. At first she tried to keep herself detached by only skimming through each report before making the decision to either box it up or throw it away. But a couple of the missions jumped out at her and she couldn't help but read through the summaries.

She wiped away a tear as she reminisced about everything she was going to miss about the Joe team. Before her pity party could get out of hand, she resorted to her coping mechanism she had fallen back on the last few days. Instead of lamenting the past, she started to focus on the future. Working in DC was still going to give her a link to the Joe team. So she was still going to have opportunities to work with her friends.

And while she was fairly certain there weren't going to be any romantic rendezvous with Flint in the future, once Junior arrived Alison was sure she was still going to be taking trips to Arizona so the baby could spend time with his or her father.

A knock on the door interrupted Alison's thoughts. She looked up and smiled when she saw Shipwreck standing there. She put down the stacks of paper, and went to him. He opened his arms and she fell into his chest for a hug. He pulled away, looked down and said, "Flint really did knock you up!"

Alison couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, he did. So at least, if nothing else, I get to walk away from the Joes with a nice parting gift."

Shipwreck let out a nervous laugh, and Alison wondered how much of her story the sailor was privy to. Based on his comment, it was obvious her pregnancy had become public record. But while she was somewhat curious as to how many correct and incorrect details were making their way through the gossip channels, she really didn't want to ask. They stood there in silence for a moment before Shipwreck asked, "Do you want to get something to eat? I think they're still serving lunch in the commissary."

Alison was going to pass, but then her stomach let out a growl. Even though the worst of her morning sickness had long since passed, she still got nauseous if she went too long in between meals. So despite her desire to keep up a low key presence, she agreed.

Shipwreck kept up an idle chatter on their walk to the commissary. She was just starting to think that she might actually have an enjoyable lunch date, when she stopped just short of entering the cafeteria. She had expected that she might run into Flint at some point during her day on base. But to see him hanging out at a table chatting away with General Bradshaw and Duke was more than she could handle.

Shipwreck too stopped and turned towards the table she was watching. "I just remembered they were planning on serving sliders today for lunch. I think they're taste only slightly better than hockey pucks, so what do you think about going off base to get a sandwich somewhere?"

Alison smiled and was immensely grateful for the sailor giving her a graceful exit. "I think that sounds like a good idea. And that will give me a chance to check on my car."

As they made the turn down the hall to head towards the parking garage, they ran into Bazooka and Alpine who were in the middle of one of their typical heated arguments. Which mean that Alpine was berating an apologetic looking Bazooka. Before Alison had a chance to figure out what Bazooka had done wrong, Alpine stopped his rant. He flashed her his own version of a pity smile, and once again Alison had to choke back tears.

Luckily, Shipwreck was ready to lighten the mood. "Guys, I'm making the ultimate sacrifice here because I finally got Jaye to agree to one-on-one time with me, but what are friends for? So who wants to come to lunch with us? "

Both Alpine and Bazooka enthusiastically agreed, so the four headed towards Shipwreck's car. They spent the ride over avoiding any heavy topics of conversation, so by the time they arrived at the diner Alison had immensely cheered up. Her good mood continued until after her sandwich had been eaten, when Alpine finally asked her about her situation.

"Is it true that you are moving to DC to work with Hawk?"

"It is," Alison answered simply. All three got nearly identical looks of dismay on their faces that it was almost comical. So she continued, "It really is a great opportunity for me. If I can't be with the Joes, it's the next best thing."

"I'm happy for you," Bazooka said. "But I'm still going to miss you."

It was such a sweet sentiment that Alison once again lost control of her emotions. The tears came fast and furious. Once she started to calm down she realized that the three men had taken up defensive positions to comfort her. Alpine and Bazooka each had a hold of one of her hands, while Shipwreck stood behind her with his hands gently massaging her shoulders. She was again struck by how much she loved and was going to miss her friends.

She squeezed Alpine and Bazooka's hands and then pulled them away to pat at Shipwreck's. "Thank you for being good friends. I'm really going to miss you guys too."

Shipwreck took the seat next to her but kept an arm wrapped her shoulders. "So tell us about the baby. When are you due? Do you know what you are having?"

Alison figured the questions were a distraction technique, but it was working. "April 30th, and no not yet. But I might find out at the end of the week."

"Congratulations," Alpine said with a smile. "I can't believe you and Flint kept it a secret for so long. And you had me convinced that you two had really called it quits."

"Me too," Bazooka said with a nod.

"You gave everyone quite a scare last week with your disappearing act. I've never seen Flint so upset, and that's saying something," Shipwreck added with a squeeze of his arm. "So I'm glad you're back and things are working out. Even though that means I don't get the chance to move in on Flint's territory, I am really happy for you two."

Alpine and Bazooka echoed Shipwreck's well-wishes, and Alison forced herself to keep a smile on her face and play along while the three chatted happily about her and Flint's future together. She did not want to relive her earlier emotional outburst and confess that she and Flint had truly split. Instead she called to mind a special memory she had of each man. How Bazooka asked her for dating advice when he had become smitten with a Japanese woman he had met during a mission. The night she and Alpine spent hours debating whether the Egyptian Gods they had encountered on a mission were somehow real, or just another elaborate Cobra creation. And the time that Shipwreck showed a surprisingly deep side of himself as he confessed to her how much he wanted a Cobra version of his future he had experienced to come true.

While the memories reiterated how close she was to the three men sitting around her, it only added to her sadness. As soon as there was a break in the conversation, she looked at her watch and announced that it was time to get back to HQ. Despite her protests, Shipwreck picked up the tab for lunch and they made their way back to base. After they exited the car, she hugged the three men in turn, thanked them for their company and promised that they would have a farewell dinner before she left for DC.

Once she was alone she debated her next move. The one thing she decided was that her walk down memory lane was over, so the rest of her packing would wait for another day. As she continued to mull her course of action, she heard footsteps and faint voices coming from around the bend. One of the voices sounded like Flint's so she looked for an escape. Luckily, one of the women's restrooms was close by so she ducked in.

She then cursed at herself for her actions. She couldn't spend the rest of her time on the Joe base running for cover every time she thought she might run into Flint. She turned on the water at the sink and splashed her face with cool water. She then took a look in the mirror. There was no denying that she looked like a mess. She thought back to the evening of Thanksgiving when a couple of Flint's relatives had complimented her on her pregnancy glow. If she did have it then, she had since lost it. It was enough to convince her that the rest of her to-do list was going to be put on hold. She needed to go back to the apartment and try and rest.

As she went back to her room to collect her things she remembered that she didn't have access to her car. Luckily, the main gate was within walking distance, and since it was one of those patented beautiful Arizonan fall days the walk would probably be good for her. But then she reached her door and another option presented itself. There was a note from Duke telling her she needed to see him ASAP. It reminded her of her promise to Scarlett. So she decided to pay him a visit to take care of whatever the important business was, deliver Scarlett's letter and then she would ask him for a ride to her car.

On the way to Duke's office she passed General's Bradshaw's slightly ajar door. It was open enough that she could hear him engaged in what sounded like a telephone conversation, but not enough to see him. She made another impromptu decision. Before she met with Duke, she was going to confront the general to find out why her job had been lost while Flint's had been spared.

She spent a few minutes waiting for the general to finish his conversation. While she stood there, Duke's door opened and he walked out into the hall. "Alison, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm waiting to talk to General Bradshaw."

Duke looked from the closed door to her. "Are you sure you want to put yourself through that?"

Alison nodded. "I do. I think I deserve to know why I was unfairly punished."

Duke waved to his office. "Come inside, I want to talk to you." When Alison stayed put he sighed. "Don't make me order you to."

Alison smirked. "I'm sorry, but that threat doesn't work anymore."

"Fine. You want to play hardball? Do you want the MPs called in to have you thrown off base, since you aren't supposed to be wandering around unescorted?"

Alison was shocked. "Duke, you wouldn't."

"You're right, I wouldn't do that to a friend. But don't you think the general would if he saw you standing out in this hall by yourself?" Duke shook his head. "Stop being a pain in the ass. Give me ten minutes of your time, and if at the end you're still hell-bent on talking to the general, then I'll bring you in there myself."

Alison stopped arguing and followed Duke in to his office. Duke grabbed a file off his desk while she took a seat. "I've been sitting on this for a week now. You can't get a copy of your DD-214 until you sign these documents."

She picked up a pen and read through the paperwork. Once she finished she handed the completed documents back to Duke. He flipped through a stack of files and grabbed a sheet of paper from one of the thick folders. "You probably want to read through this too."

Alison took it, expecting it to be a pamphlet on how to deal with an Army discharge. But she was surprised by what she saw. "What is this?"

Duke shrugged. "You said you wanted to know what the general's reasoning was for your dismissal. That's the report he wrote up."

Alison was going to question Duke about the legality of what he was letting her do, but she realized she didn't care. Instead she dove into the report. The first half was a recap and vague timeline of her and Flint's relationship. The general must have learned most of the details during his investigation into their actions. They weren't one hundred percent accurate, but it was close enough to the truth. The second half was the part that Alison was looking for.

"It should be noted that the relationship between Sergeant Alison Hart-Burnett and Warrant Officer Dashiell Faireborn commenced prior to my arrival. There were no reports of favoritism shown towards Sergeant Hart-Burnett, and no evidence that any missions, military members or civilians were put in jeopardy. Therefore, even though I loathe condoning the behavior, I cannot condemn it. Barring the extenuating circumstances I would have ordered Sergeant Hart-Burnett and Warrant Officer Faireborn to receive the minor punishments outlined in the code while retaining their current rank and position in addition to the relationship being immediately terminated.

"However, as noted previously, Sergeant Hart-Burnett is eighteen weeks pregnant at the time of this judgment. I cannot confirm when she learned of pregnancy, but she admitted she has known for approximately two months. Her behavior during that time is particularly troubling and disappointing. In addition to not disclosing her pregnancy to the officer in charge as dictated by the code, she further disregarded her, her unborn child's and her teammates' safety when she put herself in harm's way during two missions to investigate potential Cobra strongholds. Therefore it is my decision that Sergeant Hart-Burnett shall be discharged from the United States Army."

The closing paragraph continued to outline her and Flint's punishment, but Alison stopped reading as she had seen enough. She put the paper down. "Just for the record I wasn't lying about when I found out. I didn't know I was pregnant when I went to Greece."

Duke stared at her and then shook his head. "Alison, if you want to be that stubborn to nit-pick every detail of the report with the general, I'm not going to stop you. But the point is, you have known for some time and made the conscious decision to keep it a secret. And you never should have gone to Scotland. I hate to kick you while you're down, but you brought your punishment upon yourself."

Alison had to concede that point, but she had a question for Duke. "What would you have done?"

Duke thought about it for a few moments. "Probably suspend you for the rest of your pregnancy. Maybe relegate you to a desk job."

Alison opened her mouth to tell him that was her point, but he waved her off. "Let me finish. I would probably have been more lenient on you because I know you and Flint. We have gone to hell and back with this team, so I know you would never purposely jeopardize anyone here. But you haven't achieved that same connection with General Bradshaw. I know he's read your file and is familiar with all of the good you've done, but that's not the same as seeing it first-hand. Plus, he's a stickler for the rules. Hawk gave us the heads up that he was going to be a very different general. And I tried to reiterate that to Flint, when I could see that he was ready to damn all the repercussions in order to stay with you."

Duke's last comment reminded Alison of Scarlett's letter. She handed it to him. "Speaking of repercussions, Scarlett asked me to give this to you."

Duke reached for it but then he hesitated. "Do I need to have Airtight clear this before I open it?"

Alison chuckled. "I'm sure it's safe. Scarlett seemed awfully fond of Junior and I, so I doubt she would have put anything dangerous in there.

Duke sadly looked at it and then picked it up to put it into one of his drawers. He let out a sigh and then turned his attention back to her. "Did Flint tell you he tried to quiet the team?"

Alison nodded. "Yes, and he also told me how in the end he decided he had to stay."

"Did he tell you why?"

"No," Alison said with a shake of her head. "I just assumed it was due to his overinflated sense of self-worth."

Duke let out a chuckle. "Normally, I would agree with you. But in this case, I really think there was more to it. I don't know for sure, because neither one has informed me of the exact details of what happened, but I have a strong suspicion that Flint was asked to stay on my behalf."

Alison was confused. "What? Why?"

"I've been slowly coming clean to people, and many have had a similar reaction to yours. It's reassuring to see that I did a much better job of hiding the extent of my lingering injuries that I thought."

At first Alison wasn't sure what injuries he was referencing. Then she figured it out. "You mean from Serpentor's attack?"

"Yes. I'm not nearly as far along in my recovery as I would like. I'm not cleared for field duties, and quite frankly the littlest amount of exertion tires me out more than it should. I met with General Bradshaw a few weeks ago to give him an updated status. I basically told him that without my supporting leadership staff I would have been forced to quit. I guess the general passed along that piece of information to Flint when he tried to quit."

"So Flint wasn't lying when he insisted that the Joe team needed him."

Duke shook his head. "No, he wasn't. I know there haven't been a lot of missions lately, but we still need capable leadership. I know I'm being selfish, and that I should do what's best for the team and move on, but that's still not going to help Flint. We could talk to Hawk to see if we can let Beachhead stay here, but I'm going to tell you something that you can never repeat. Beachhead is a fine soldier, and a capable commander, but he doesn't have nearly the leadership skills that Flint has."

Alison couldn't help but smile. Her eyes filled with tears as she became overwhelmed by her feelings of pride for Flint.

Duke continued. "You know that Flint and I go way back. We've seen each other at our best and worst. And I can honestly say that I have never seen him as broken as he was last night. He loves you and that baby you are carrying and he is devastated that he won't fully be a part of your lives."

The tears began to fall. Duke came over and put his arms around her. "I want you two to get the happy ending you deserve, but I really think my hands are tied when it comes to Flint's position on the Joes."

Alison ran through a few different scenarios in her head. Ideally, she would love to have Flint take Beachhead's spot on Hawk's team, but since she agreed with Duke's assessment, that was not in the Joe team's best interest. Plus she suspected that if they started making drastic changes to the Joe team's leadership it would catch the Jugglers attention. And that was all assuming that the generals would agree to even consider disrupting so many plans to give Alison what she wanted.

When she laid it out on the line like that, Alison realized how unfair she had been. For the first time in weeks, she put herself in Flint's shoes. Based on what she heard she could now understand why Flint made the decision he did. And she had punished him in the worst way possible for it.

"It was wrong of me to insist he walk away," Alison said quietly. She let out a sigh. "In fact I think I've been totally unreasonable."

"Yes, you were. But you had an excuse." Duke rubbed her back. "Believe me, I get having that desire to run away with the person you love. But sometime it's not the best solution."

"Well I doubt after everything I said last night we're running off into the sunset of a happy ending. I'm pretty sure I ruined the best thing that has happened to me."

"It's not ruined. Flint wants a reconciliation more than anything."

"I don't know about that. I said some pretty awful things. And I told him last night that we were officially over."

"Alison, you can still make amends. From what I've seen the last few days, I know without a doubt that he would take you back in a heartbeat."

That only made Alison feel worse. The whole time she had assumed that he didn't care anymore, he had actually been mired in a deep depression over losing her. Alison stood up. "Conrad, thank you for this. You said a lot of things that I needed to hear."

Duke smiled. "That's part of my job. But, Alison, one more thing. If you are going to talk to Flint it's probably better to do it sooner rather than later. Preferably by tomorrow night."

Duke's cryptic message seemed awfully ominous. "Why? What happens after that?"

"I can't go into specific details with you," Duke said with a grimace. "Let's just say Flint has plans for later on in the week."

Alison nodded. "This is why I have to take the job at the Pentagon. No matter what happens with us, I'm probably never going to stop loving him. And since he is the father of my child, I have a vested interest in his well-being. I can't handle being completely in the dark about his top-secret activities. So at least my new job will give me back my clearances, and hopefully I can still keep tabs on him."

"I understand that as well. It is hard having no idea what your loved one is up to."

Alison walked over to Duke and hugged him. "Read her letter, Con."

Duke promised her he was going to. With that, Alison left his office to deal with her own relationship problems.


	41. Chapter 41

Duke waited for Alison to leave his office before he pulled out the envelope that he had been curious about since the moment it was handed to him. There was a part of him that wanted to rip it open and find out whatever Scarlett's parting message to him was. But since he was fairly certain that it was not going to be filled with words of love, he was also dreading it.

So he put it down and spent a few minutes contemplating the conversation he just had with Alison. His feelings on that were conflicted as well. The soldier in him was annoyed at the soap opera like drama that had seen playing out. But he meant it when he said he was close to Flint and Alison, and therefore he wanted to see both of his good friends happy.

So even though he still didn't agree with many of the actions that they had taken the last few weeks, he hoped they were on the path to reconciliation. Plus he was excited for them that in a few months their baby would be born. He looked forward to seeing the two of them in parenting roles.

Duke too hoped that one day he could experience the joy of fatherhood. With that thought, he turned his attention back to the envelope. After hesitating one last time, with a deep inhale he opened it and pulled out the letter. He smiled sadly at Scarlett's familiar handwriting.

"Con, I'm not sure when, if ever, you will get a chance to read this letter. But I am writing this within minutes of the fight we had in my room as I had finished packing up. I would like to say that I am apologizing for every hateful thing I have said, but honestly, I'm not. I hope that by the time you do read this that I am in a better place, both figuratively and literally. I used the excuse that I had to move on from the Joe team because it had become a toxic place for me. That is true, but I never fully admitted that the main reason for that toxicity was you.

"When the Joe team was formed, it was probably pretty obvious that I had a crush at you. That sounds juvenile, but looking back I know that I wasn't in love with you– yet. That love slowly built up over the years. I knew that I couldn't act on my feelings, so I tried to keep a rein on them. Instead I tried to be happy with the deep friendship we had. That changed when Serpentor nearly killed you. While I hate that it took a near tragic event to spur us to act, I am glad that for a few short months I was able to love you fully.

"When we first started our relationship, I was afraid that it wasn't going to last. But as time went by I convinced myself that you loved me as deeply as I loved you. And if and when you were faced with the prospect of losing me, you would choose me. So when that moment came and not only did you not choose me, but you made the decision so effortlessly, it devastated me. I had always prided myself on being able to read people, so the fact that I was so wrong about you was extremely disappointing.

"While I think for the most part I have accepted our break-up, that's the one part I can't get over. Was I that wrong about your feelings for me? Did I completely overestimate how much you loved me? I know you said that you did, but were you just using me in your time of need to help you recover? I hope that I wasn't wrong because to be honest, I miss you. I would like to rebuild the friendship we once had, but I can't do that if I had completely misread you and your actions these last few years.

"I'm going to have Lady Jaye hold on to this until I am ready to really talk to you. If you have reached the same point, give me a call. Love, Shana."

Duke didn't hesitate before he picked up the phone. The voice he had been anxious to hear again answered after only two rings. "Shana, its Conrad. I'm ready too."

* * *

As the sun began to set, Alison decided it was time to pack up her blanket and head back inside Joe Headquarters. She had spent the afternoon deep in thought in the little garden area on the edge of the Joe base. After she had left Duke's office, her first instinct had been to knock on Flint's door. But she forced herself to wait to talk to him. She wanted to spend some time once again going over every piece of advice she had received the last few days. Despite her good intentions, her last couple of conversations with Flint had derailed and she didn't want a repeat of that.

She realized now, especially with their blow-up the previous day, that she was trying to force a perfect solution too quickly. Even though she was now resolved to trying to make their relationship work, she understood that there were still questions and concerns that she didn't have answers to. She knew that the next few months were going to be hard as she navigated a career change, relocation and impending parenthood. But she wanted Flint by her side, so she hoped she could undo the damage she had inflicted on him and their relationship.

She just hoped that Flint still wanted to talk to her.

She entered HQ, dropped off her stuff in her room and then wandered around looking for him. As she passed through many areas she assumed she would never see again, she had to clamp down on her building emotions. But as Duke not so kindly pointed out, she was reaping what she had sown. So it was time to move forward from the past and concentrate only on the future.

She finally found Flint in the rec room. He was involved in a game of pool with a couple of the other Joes. She hovered in the doorway to stay out of his line of sight.

However, Barbecue noticed her and giving her a questioning look he cocked his head towards Flint. She shook her head, hopefully indicating that she didn't want to disturb him just yet. She wanted to spend a few minutes watching him first.

Now that her mind wasn't full of her self –righteousness and selfishness she realized how madly in love with him she still was. Even with all of the bullshit they had gone through the last few weeks, none of that had changed. And with Hawk giving her a few weeks before she was to report to the Pentagon, she wanted to use the time to rebuild their relationship.

Flint made an incredible shot and with a smile, he bragged about it to his teammates. Gung-Ho replied with a very derogatory comment that caused Flint to laugh. He was doing a good job of putting on an act that he was fine. But she knew him well enough to know the laugh was forced, and the smile showed a hint of the pain he was in.

Her heart ached for him. She had seen enough, and was desperate to talk to him. She entered the rec room. Gung-Ho noticed that she walked in and he nudged Flint. He turned his head and initially grinned at her. But it quickly disappeared. "Hi. You're still here?"

Alison ran her hand through her hair. "I've been a captive audience since I can't come and go as I please. But it gave me time to take care of a few things. Also, I had a nice conversation with Duke."

"Oh, okay," Flint said simply. A brief look of hope crossed his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came on.

Alison hated the fact that they had now become the center of attention in the rec room. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Of course," Flint said. He handed his cue stick to Barbecue and the two walked out into the hall. "Where do you want to go?"

She smiled at him. "I was hoping that we could go upstairs. You know, like in the old days?"

He actually stopped and stared at her. His face was a mask of confusion, as he was probably wondering what had come over her. "Uh, sure."

It was nice that the two of them were able to go topside together, and not have to worry about hiding their destination. Once on the roof they made their way over to their spot. The evening air was cool, but the roof was still radiating its heat, so it made for a comfortable atmosphere.

Now that they were alone she didn't know how to begin. He stared at her for a few moments before he dropped his gaze to a point below him. She thought about resorting to their tried and true ice breaker of initiating physical contact. But with the way he probably felt about her now, she was fairly certain he would turn her down.

So she took a deep breath. "Dash, bear with me for a moment as I get my thoughts together. I spent the last few hours once again thinking about our past and future together, and while I know what I want, I, for once, am not sure how to say it."

Flint took a step back. "Damn it, Alison. Haven't you hurt me enough? I really can't stomach another diatribe where you point out all my shortcomings and list the ways you hate me."

Alison gasped. "Dash, no." She walked over to him to grab his arm, but he pulled back from her. "I don't hate you, and I'm so sorry for hurting you. Duke helped me realized what a self absorbed," she paused as she searched for the right word, "bitch I've been."

"What did Duke say to you?" Flint asked as his face softened.

"Quite a bit, in fact. But his main point was that I need to stop blaming you for things that aren't your fault." Alison paused. "Actually, that's been the recurring theme of all the talks I've had the last few days, but it took reading General Bradshaw's notes and finding out how bad off Duke is to finally have it hammered home."

Flint studied her for a moment. "I'm glad somebody finally made you see reason."

Alison reached for his hand and smiled when he grabbed it and squeezed. She choked up as for the first time she actually saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "I'm sorry," she said as her tears began. "I know I've put you through hell, and I probably don't deserve to ask this but can you forgive me?"

"Oh, Alison," he said as he pulled her into a tight hug.

She relaxed into his chest. "Dash, I love you and I've missed you so much. I'm done with putting General Bradshaw, and all of the stupid things that have gotten between us these last few weeks. I want to move past that and just focus on you and our baby."

He kissed her deeply. When he pulled away he said, "Every day I've hoped that you would say that. I can honestly say that the lowest point of my life was when I put in a call to Mainframe's lawyer to find out what my parental rights are."

Even though Alison knew he had only been following through on her threat, it still made her realize how close they had come to severing almost all ties. "That must have been awful."

"It was. I am so happy that I can cancel that appointment. All I want is you, Junior and hopefully Junior's many siblings." She chuckled at the comment. "Whether you are here or in DC, I know that as long as we are together we can figure out how to make the rest of it work."

Alison breathed a sigh of relief. She had been debating whether to bring up the Pentagon job. She hadn't wanted to ruin the moment, so the fact that Flint not only brought it up first but seemed to be okay with the idea was a huge step in the right direction. "We've got some time before I need to report, so let's make the most of the next couple of weeks together."

Flint's face took on a pained expression. Alison knew he was afraid to tell her about the mission she wasn't supposed to know about, so she saved him the trouble. "Duke also told me that you might have plans for later on this week."

"He did?"

Alison nodded. "He was in rare form. He probably broke a half-dozen confidentiality rules giving me the amount of information he did. And this is why I'm glad you are okay with me going to DC. From the beginning I've had first-hand knowledge of every mission you've been on. I've known when you've been safe and when you've been in danger. Sometimes I had questioned whether too much knowledge is a good thing, but now that I've lost the right I know it really is. After everything we've been through as teammates, I can't suddenly be in the dark about your activities. I'm hoping working with Hawk will help me keep a connection to you when you're out in the field."

"I'd like that too. I can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to professionally confide in you. As for my upcoming mission, I have to leave the day after tomorrow. But it's supposed to be a quick in-and-out trip so I should be gone at most twenty-four hours. It'll be close, but hopefully I'll be back in time for your ultrasound."

Alison grabbed his hand and put it on her abdomen. "I'm happy to hear that. I want you there to see the latest photos of your daughter."

"You mean my son?"

Alison laughed. The grin that she loved seeing on his face was back. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. They embraced and kissed. As the kissing became more intense he said, "So do you want to relive the good old days?"

She shook her head, and smiled as he looked shocked. "No. That's because I want you to take me to the apartment, so we can make mad passionate love in our bed, in the privacy of our home."

Flint grinned. "That sounds like a great plan. I always ended up with the worst cuts and bruises after sex up here."

"You and me both." She grabbed his hand as they made their way to the roof exit.

Author's Note:

And that's the end. For now. Obviously there is much more of this story, but this seemed like a good stopping point to this chapter of their lives. Coming hopefully soon will be the continuing story focusing on Alison's job in DC and making a long distance relationship work. And of course, the arrival of their little one.

Thank you again to all who have read this, and everyone who has left a review over the last few months. I loved reading each and every one.

And thank you also to Mossley. My plan was to release these last few chapters in one sitting, and I appreciate her doing a quick turnaround on her beta to make that possible.


End file.
